The Conquering Shadow
by jacob
Summary: Vlad coerces Danny into attending a new school to better teach him about his powers. Danny knows it’s a plot, but he still can’t stop the chain of events sending him to his new school, Sky High, and beyond. Crossover and slash! With mystery pairings!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—So I only recently got into both of these fandoms, and maybe that's why I was in the crossover mood. Either way, yippers. And the [slash] in the summary is there for a reason. OBEY THE [SLASH].

**Chapter, The First**

**The Crazed-up Set-up**

America is a young nation in the way as such things are measured. Compared to the countries where most of its current population originated, the United States had a relatively modern structure. The indigenous people of the Americas had a rich history that was as varied and complex as anything from the old world, but thanks to colonialism, modern day American teens don't have to learn any of it, and much of it had been obliterated.

For people in other portions of the world, history surrounds them, in their streets, their hills and their architecture. Buildings that existed for centuries may stand in the middle of a city next to an art museum built only a year ago. A manor house that has been in place for 800 years can be right around the corner from McDonalds. In Europe, or Asia, the past and the present live side by side, and sometimes right next to the future. In America, it's a bit different. Sure, there is a sense of history, but buildings are only a couple centuries old at the most, and certain structures seen in the rest of the world are distinctly absent.

The most famous sort of old building is the castle, the archetype structure that kids all over the world fantasize about playing in and ruling from, and, as an example, there are no real castles in America. Sure, there are a few here and there, all of them imported or constructed far after their time, but they aren't real castles, and they tend to look a bit funny.

For example, there is a castle in Wisconsin, a giant stone monstrosity that used to hold royalty. Albeit, that royalty was the Cheese King and the castle was built more like a Disney version of a castle rather than a fortress that could repel much larger invading forces, with gruesome defenses and a history of violent bloodshed within and without its massive walls. The castle was, to put it mildly, out of place, it stuck out like a giant sore thumb that had begun to rot and turn a violently wretched green with an odor that could make a dog's eyes water.

Stones the size of small cars formed its foundations, towers stretched up to meet the sky, gargoyles leered down from its roofs, and in general it appeared to be very castle-like, while at the same time not being anything at all like a castle. In other words, it had been Americanized, for it fairly shouted out its existence and importance, how different it was from every other house or mansion within a hundred or even five hundred miles. The owner liked it that way, as he wanted—no needed—to distinguish himself from the people around him.

Vlad Masters had spent years amassing his fortune, and he wanted everyone to know it, and to appreciate it. He just didn't want anyone to know how he had done so. Except…

It had become common knowledge in certain circles that there was a super-hero in Amity Park, the town that his former unrequited love and her moronic husband lived in. What was not common knowledge was the identity of the city's protector. Daniel Fenton, the son of Vlad's greatest enemy, and his greatest love, was Danny Phantom, the guardian of thousands of ungrateful humans. And he was half-ghost, something else not commonly known.

Vlad sneered as he sat in his study. He could not fathom for the life of him why the boy wasted his time with the heroics and a secret identity. He had told, even shown, Daniel how true power was gained. The boy had seen the fruit of Vlad's labors, the immense success that one could get from properly utilizing one's powers. Why the boy was repulsed didn't make sense to Vlad. If one had power one ought to use it. He could even understand, if he tried, that Danny had some sort of base altruism that motivated him, but the boy wasn't the least bit hungry for fame or acclaim, so far as Vlad could tell, and that made no sense.

He'd tried to bring the boy around to his way of thinking, but each plan seemed to upset itself more and more, pushing the boy away, even while he was being drawn inexorably to Vlad's way of thinking. Vlad knew he would one day succeed and that the boy would be his, and his beautiful mother too. He and Daniel were bound together, by their very nature, they were the only two people who could possibly understand one another, and only he could train the boy to use his powers, to groom him as his heir. Why couldn't the boy see that, and see what he was offering?

Vlad closed his eyes, swirling a brandy snifter in his hand. He had to bring Danny around to his side, Danny was the key. But the boy wasn't trained enough. Fenton had the power, Vlad knew that first hand, unfortunately, he just didn't have the training.

Time was running out, Clockwork had been rather explicit about that. Although what the eternal Ghost of Time considered running out was a little different from Vlad's perspective. Vlad sipped at his brandy and silently cursed said Ghost of Time. Why he'd decided to warn Vlad and not young Daniel was obvious: Daniel didn't have the spine to take the actions necessary to preserve humanity. But now Vlad was expected to be some sort of hero, or something, and that was just not in his nature.

It was clear, though, that Clockwork also expected Daniel to assume the mantle of Ghost King, and to hold the Shadow Gate closed. The Elder Ghosts would soon discover that with Pariah Dark dethroned they would have a chance to return to the Ghost Zone, and then whatever lived in out beyond them, in the Shadow, would also be unchecked. Vlad already had a few ideas he wanted to implement before that occurred; Clockwork's plan for Daniel had merits, to be sure, but Vlad was not about to rest his continued existence on the shoulders of one fairly immature teenage boy.

Still, time was running out, and he couldn't continue in this vein with Daniel. He had to find a way to train the boy, to make him ready for what was coming, while at the same time giving himself complete access and control of the ghost zone. He had to at once neutralize Daniel's position against him, and enable the boy. Vlad was the only person qualified to really train him, just as Daniel was the only one capable of foiling his plans, but there were other options. And the most outrageous one, actually seemed the most likely to succeed. If he played his cards right, it would give him the greatest edge he could imagine. All the treasures and power of the Elder Ghosts, his for the taking…

Vlad's eyes came completely open and he went intangible, floating down into his lab. With a gesture, the lab came alight and the computer turned on.

"Hello Vlad, my love, how may I serve you?" Vlad smiled at his computer's voice. Maddie Fenton would be his someday, but until then he had to take his happiness where he could get it.

"I want a detailed report and summary on all meta-human activity in the country, focusing on super hero couples who are likely to have had children. Then, review based on the likelihood they have a child Daniel's age." Vlad waited as the computer processed his request. The idea was almost cemented, and Vlad smiled slightly at the elegance of it.

"Most viable couple is the Commander and Jetstream. Data indicates that Jetstream most likely had a child fifteen years ago, and that the family would be based somewhere near Maxville." Vlad's smirk became decidedly more pronounced. The hard part was done. Because once Vlad Masters had a plan, nothing could stand in his way.

* * *

The sun was shining, the air was warm, and Danny Fenton was in a particularly good mood. For a teenage boy, in the summertime, this was not wholly unusual. In point of fact, it could be said to be quite usual. The unusual bit was that Danny was happy because he hadn't had to fight any ghosts that day. Another unusual bit was that his two best friends were happy for the same reason. It was unusual, because that implied that ghost attacks were—well, things that occurred. And everyone "knew" that ghosts didn't exist.

In Danny's opinion, it was entirely unfair that ghosts weren't aware of that.

"So, you guys ready for me to beat you down in Street Brawler 2?" Samantha Manson was exactly one-half of Danny's social circle, and his best friend. He didn't know what he'd do without her.

"Just because Goths are supposed to be good at old video games doesn't mean we can't play new ones," groused the other half of Danny's social circle. His best friend, Tucker Foley, had been through the thick and the thin with Danny. He knew what he'd do without Tucker, he'd be utterly miserable, all the time. Sam was awesome, and he couldn't imagine life without her, but a guy needed a best guy-friend.

The trio happily argued their way to the Fenton house, one of the more unusual looking houses in Amity Park. It was when they were just about to walk up the stoop that Danny froze, because his breath had just turned blue.

"A ghost? But today was going so well," Danny whined. Sam rolled her eyes and Tucker felt around his ever present backpack for a Fenton thermos.

"Now, now, Daniel, you're starting to sound like your grumpy little friend," said a voice that was calm, cultured and reeked of arrogance. Danny looked up as his arch-enemy floated down in front of him, in broad daylight no less.

Vlad "Plasmius" Masters was in his customary tuxedo, with his elegantly groomed hair perfectly in place and not in the least ruffled. Danny clenched his fists and moved slightly in front of Sam and Tucker.

"What do you want, Vlad," the boy almost growled. Vlad sighed.

"Actually, Daniel, I've come here because I have something to tell you. I've encountered some problems in the Ghost Zone that promise to take up a great deal of my time, and I don't plan on being around for a while," Vlad said. "And I'm worried that your education won't continue to progress if I'm not present to oversee it." Danny snorted.

"Right, I'm sure. This has to be the weakest attempt to trick me you've ever made," Danny looked at Vlad contemptuously. The other man gritted his teeth.

"Daniel, I am being serious. I'm here because I'm going to be too busy to continue your education, and you need to keep learning about your ghost powers." The three teens looked at the older man with blatant disbelief.

"Education? What education? You're Danny's arch-enemy, what are you babbling on about?" Sam's voice was rich with the sort of indignation that only an offended Goth teen can muster at will. Vlad hoped he didn't ruin the caps on his teeth with grinding.

"I can see this will not be easy, very well," Vlad said. "We need to talk Daniel, man to man. If it puts you at ease, I, Vlad Plasmius Masters, promise not to enact any villainous plots, or to ruin your father's life in any manner." Danny paused and eyed Vlad curiously. Something about the man seemed oddly sincere, and frankly Danny enjoyed being called a 'man' even if it was by his worst enemy.

"You swear?" Danny could feel Sam staring at his back, aghast.

"Yes, Daniel, I may be a villain but I do keep my word," Vlad replied smoothly. Sam leaned towards Danny.

"Danny, I don't trust him," she whispered. Danny rolled his eyes, a trick he had learned from Sam, actually.

"Oh, like I do? But he obviously has something to say, and I might as well listen," Danny said, and then pointed a finger at Vlad. "But Sam and Tucker come with us."

"Of course, Daniel, I wouldn't dream of leaving them out." Vlad smiled like a shark and Danny felt his stomach twist into knots. No matter what Vlad had said, Danny knew this would end badly. The four walked into the Fenton household. Vlad headed for the kitchen and the teens followed him.

The billionaire sat down at the table and gestured at the refrigerator. A bottle of juice—made intangible—floated out and began to pour itself into a glass. The blatant use of ghost-telekinesis made Danny angry. It was really unfair that he, as the good guy, wasn't as good with his powers as his enemy was.

"Spit it out Vlad, what do you want?" Danny snapped.

"Not just yet Daniel. First, I must ask. How are you coming along with your powers these days?" Danny felt his face grow hot and angry. Of course the older man was flaunting his abilities to enrage him. Sam poked him in the back and he took a deep breath.

"Want a demonstration?" he asked nastily and Vlad chuckled. Tucker had grabbed a glass and sat at the table. The apple juice poured into Tucker's glass.

"Wow, telekinesis. Man, that is cool. You should totally learn how to do this, Danny," Tucker said. Danny's eyes and hands began to glow.

"Temper, temper, my boy. I already promised to be good," Vlad said mildly. "But, no, a demonstration is unnecessary. I happen to know for a fact, Daniel, that while you have progressed a great deal since we first met, you have a lot to learn about 'our' powers." Vlad emphasized the word very clearly.

"Oh okay, so you're gonna teach me, right? Is that your big plan, because it's getting old. I'm not going to betray my father for you, I won't help you to win my mother over, and—" Vlad held up a hand.

"Daniel, it is painfully obvious to me that you haven't learned enough from the lessons I've been giving you," Danny, Tucker and Sam all looked shell-shocked.

"Lessons? You call multiple attempts on my life, on my friends and family, LESSONS?" Danny spluttered.

"Well, you learned didn't you?" Vlad's voice was so matter-of-fact that he could have been discussing the weather.

"Learned that you a seriously crazed-up fruit-loop who apparently thinks being my arch-nemesis is the same as teaching me to use my powers. I do not know what you've been smoking, but you can get out of here if you're going to just spew crazy." Sam and Tucker nodded behind him.

"Seriously, man, why do you think Danny would fall for this?" Sam sounded curious in spite of herself. Vlad did what he always did when presented with a problem he couldn't deal with, he ignored her.

"Daniel… I'm sorry you feel that way. I had hoped not to have to do this—oh who am I kidding, I'm a super-villain, I hoped for it," Vlad laughed and Danny immediately slipped into Phantom mode. But Vlad didn't transform, he just smiled wider.

"You see, Daniel, you have to learn, your education is of paramount concern to me," Vlad placed a hand over his heart.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure Danny's wellbeing is of utmost concern to you," Sam snorted, crossing her arms and glaring at the halfa. Vlad looked down his nose at her, quite a feat for someone sitting talking to someone standing.

"Hush, girl, the adult is talking." Tucker and Danny both inched away from Sam slightly.

"The adult who is still pining for a married woman with no interest in him whatsoever? The adult who threatens one if not both of my best friends on an almost weekly basis? The adult who has demonstrated a complete lack of human decency time, after time, after time? Excuse me if I don't think too highly of your opinion," Sam sneered. Vlad took a deep breath and counted to 10, twice.

"I'm going to ignore that, for your sake," he said darkly. Danny's eyes narrowed and he leant forward, putting a hand on the table.

"You're pushing your luck, Vlad. Spit it out." Vlad sighed and leant back in his chair. He steepled his fingers and his eyelids closed slightly with speculation.

"Fine, Daniel, I have decided to enroll you in a secret school for super-heroes." Danny, Tucker, and Sam all looked completely, and utterly, baffled.

"What?" Danny said weakly.

"Oh, it's a wonderful little institution, as I understand it, they call it Sky High," Vlad began to gesture about as he talked. "It's a high school for the super-powered teen set, they train you to be a super-hero and all about how to 'save' people, and other nonsense. I'd like to send you there."

"Dude, that sounds awesome," Tucker breathed and Danny privately had to agree. Sam, being the more level-headed of the two, had other ideas.

"Okay, aside from the fact that idea of such a school is completely ludicrous, why on earth should we believe that you want Danny to go there? He'd just become better at stopping you than he already is."

"Girl, you truly are a delight, aren't you?" Vlad sneered. "I don't particularly care what you think, but ponder this, if your little adolescent brain can manage it. I am far more powerful than your dear friend here, and if I had wanted to, I could have killed Jack Fenton a long time ago. I could have done any number of decidedly more evil things, but I didn't. I am not truly evil, children, I'm just unafraid to take what I want. So you can believe what you want, or what you must to keep your child-like illusions about the world being black and white, but I am going to win back Maddie Fenton and make Daniel heir to my power, all of it. And the sweetest bit of all will be when they do it of their own free will."

"Danny, you are so right about the crazed-up fruit-loop bit," Tucker whispered.

"Dude, my mom never liked you in the first place, you can't win her back, she was never yours! And I don't know what your plot is this time, Plasmius, but I can assure you I'm not going to go along with it." Danny powered up again and glared defiantly at Vlad.

"Actually, Daniel, you will."

"Oh, and how are you going to make me do that? Tell my parents?" Danny's face morphed into a terrified expression. "Did you tell my parents? I swear, if you told them anything I'll—"

"Daniel, do shut up," Vlad waved his hand at the boy. "Of course I wouldn't tell your parents, we do have that little bargain, don't we? But there was someone who already knew, who was only too supportive of the idea, once I finished explaining it to her." Danny felt the pit of his stomach drop into a black hole of raw fear.

"You really are a super-villain," Sam breathed, her face filled with a terrible awe.

"What took you so long to realize it? JASMINE! We're in the kitchen now," Vlad yelled.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—Don't' worry about the crossover-ness, I'll explain everything (watch out for comic book references!). Also, the slash warning is because there is homoeroticism ahoy, not necessarily a happy slashy ending (I have yet to decide, and want to keep you on your toes). But don't worry **too** much; I can't stand an unhappy ending anymore than most.

**Chapter, The Second**

**Meet the Parents**

Danny's mood had taken a dive from earlier that day. Tucker and Sam had left after the conversation with Jazz and Vlad, and his parents would be home soon. The idea of a new school was, frankly, not something he was entirely comfortable with, but… To be surrounded by other kids going through changes like his own, people who could teach and connect with him… Vlad had painted a very idyllic picture, and that was the problem.

It had to be a trap. Vlad was not a nice person, so why would he want to help Danny? Admittedly, and rather embarrassingly, Danny had to concede that Vlad wasn't that evil, because the other man was right in that he could have killed Danny, or his father, anytime he wanted.

That didn't mean he wasn't a psycho creep with no morals, or excuse his track record, but it did mean that he had to want Danny alive for something. It also meant he wasn't a murderer. And even if he'd never admit it, Vlad was attached to the Fenton family in a way that precluded outright war. Danny would bet money on it, just not his or his family's safety.

None of that was any reason for Danny to trust him. The boy was lying on his bed with "Black Dark and Miserable" by the Deadly Angst playing on his computer. Danny felt like sulking, and thanks to Tucker he had all of Sam's music to choose from for brooding. No one could sulk or brood like Sam.

Danny frowned and stared at the ceiling. Despite everything, he kind of wanted to go to this new school. It sounded like the answer to all his ghost problems, and he could always go back to Casper High if he didn't like it. Jazz had come up with a ton of reasons for why he should attend, not the least of which was that Vlad would pay for it out of pocket.

_"Just because Uncle Vlad is untrustworthy doesn't mean we can't take advantage of when he's right,"_ Jazz had said. Vlad's smile had been particularly unnerving at that point. And honestly, Danny couldn't quite argue with Jazz. Vlad had promised to have his minions lay off Amity Park, to pay for his education, to cover it up from his parents, and not to attempt to murder Jack Fenton.

Of course, Sam still maintained that Sky High was a crazy idea, and couldn't exist. But Danny wondered, superheroes had to learn how to be—well—super somewhere. A floating high school was honestly no weirder than anything else he'd seen in his life.

The only thing stopping Danny from rushing out to find out anything, and everything, about this school he could, was that Vlad had brought it to his attention. What he needed was some way to make sure that such a school existed, and that it was everything Vlad said it was. Vlad had mentioned that after they got his parents to agree to it, phase two would offer incontrovertible proof that he, Vlad, was not lying. Danny hadn't understood what incontrovertible meant but Jazz had nodded so he figured it was okay.

"Hey, Danny, mom and dad will be home soon. You ready to talk to them?" Danny looked up at his older sister—speak of the devil, he thought—as she came in the room. Jazz closed the door and went to sit on the edge of the bed. Danny shrugged a little.

"I just can't shake the idea that this is some plot by Vlad," he said, playing with the hair on the back of his head as it rested in his hands. "I really do want to learn how to use my powers better, but…" He trailed off and sighed. Jazz drew a little spiral with her finger on the bedspread.

"Listen, Danny, I know that Vlad is—well one of your arch-enemies. But there are other sides to him. I talked to him about this before he even approached you," Danny stuck his tongue out at his sister. "Yes, yes, I know, get over it. Anyways, Vlad may not have the best intentions, but I've looked at this idea from every conceivable angle and I cannot find a way that this works out to benefit him." Danny gave Jazz a rather pointed look.

"That's wonderful, Jazz. That doesn't mean it isn't some plot, you realize, just that you couldn't think of one," Danny winced, the words came out a bit harsher than he had intended. Jazz frowned at her brother and drew her legs up to sit cross-legged. She stared at Danny, as if searching for something. Danny pushed himself up with his hands and wondered if he had a zit on his forehead.

"I also told dear uncle Vlad that if he so much as hurt a hair on yours, or dad's, head, I, personally, would help mom hunt him down," Danny grinned at the thought of his sister threatening Vlad. Jazz smiled at her brother, it was nice to see Danny smile. She put a hand on his knee.

"I really think this school could be a great opportunity for you. Think of all the things you could learn? Maybe you could make some more friends than just Tucker and Sam?" Danny's smile turned very quickly into a frown.

"Hey, what's wrong with Tucker and Sam?" Jazz rolled her eyes at her younger brother.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong with them, Danny. They're great friends, I'm really glad that you have both of them. But, wouldn't it be nice to meet some other kids who are going through some of the same changes you are?" Danny had to nod at that and Jazz smiled. She did love to be right.

"I thought so. And if your only fear is that the school doesn't exist, don't worry. I've got everything taken care of," she said. Danny had to grin at his sister's adult attitude. Jazz was going to Harvard in the Fall, but she didn't trust anyone to take care of Danny while she was gone. Tucker and Sam did their best, but they were just kids too.

There was a loud crash downstairs followed by the sound of someone screaming in pain, someone else yelling happily and then another crash. Jazz and Danny winced and looked knowingly at each other.

"Well, dad and mom are home, let's go put this plan into action." And Jazz guided her little brother downstairs to face the most fearsome of monsters, their parents.

It took surprisingly little effort to convince Danny's parents that he should transfer high schools. The combination of Vlad's offering to pay for tuition, and Jazz's support for Danny attending a "special needs" high school that could cater to his "delicate" psychological state was very effective. Danny was not pleased to play the part of the victim, but it was hardly going to be the most painful part of the process.

Jack Fenton had taken to the idea like he took to all things not-ghost related. He didn't understand it, but if his daughter and wife thought it would help Danny he was behind it two-hundred percent. Maddie had gone into concerned mother hen mode but Jazz had assured her Danny wasn't "crazy" it was just better that he attend another school, one that wasn't under ghost attack all the time.

Everything had almost become undone when Vlad had made an offhand smarmy remark to Maddie. Danny had almost attacked the other man but Jazz had quietly stepped on both their feet at the same time without managing to look awkward. Having successfully cowed her brother and her nefarious 'uncle' she'd taken complete control of the conversation and made everything go her way.

Vlad privately felt that he was very lucky it was Danny who had been made into the second halfa created by Jack Fenton. If it had been Jasmine Phantom he'd had to deal with, he was fairly certain things would have gone rather differently and less according to plan than he would like.

Once Jack and Maddie agreed to the idea, then came the tricky part. Vlad would be the one to take Danny to the school to register, since their cover story was that Vlad had invested in the charter school through one of his many charitable organizations. The fact that Vlad didn't have charitable organizations was not something Jack or Maddie knew, although Jazz had used the façade as an excuse to get Vlad to start one. She was not a girl to miss an opportunity for good in any situation.

"Besides, uncle Vlad, it'd be good for your image to give back to others." Vlad was grousing about the amount Jazz had casually said his organization had set aside for a scholarship program.

"You put twenty million dollars into a non-profit that I now have to manufacture, I think you've helped enough for now, dear girl." Jazz just smiled sunnily at Vlad while Danny hid a grin behind his hands.

"So, now what?" Danny asked as the three walked outside onto the street. He stopped walking as a long black luxury car pulled up in front of the Fenton Works.

Vlad gestured at the waiting limousine. "Now, Daniel, we have somewhere to be." The door opened and all three of them entered the car. Vlad pressed a button and spoke into an intercom.

"Go, we have a schedule to keep," he said, and then turned to face Danny and Jasmine. "Daniel, please get ready." with those words, the shape of Vlad Masters wavered and melted into Vlad Plasmius. Danny transformed himself into Danny Phantom while Jazz looked on, mildly amused from her corner of the car.

Vlad noticed Jazz's amusement right away. "What, exactly, is so fascinating, Jasmine?" Danny raised an eyebrow at his sister as the car pulled away from the Fenton house.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Only, if you're going to be talking to superheroes, shouldn't you try and look a bit less villainous?" Vlad frowned and Danny looked at his pseudo-nemesis speculatively.

"Yeah, you definitely have that creepy 'I will kill you and your family' vibe going on." Vlad glared at the other halfa.

"Very well," he said and closed his eyes. His body began to change, his hair turning white and his eyes turning green. A stylized V appeared on his chest and his skin took on a slightly healthier color.

"There now, my boy, don't we look—familial," Vlad purred. Danny had to admit, that the other man's mastery of shape-shifting was impressive. Vlad could have passed for Danny's father in his current form.

"Now none of that! If you two are going to pretend to be a father-son super hero team, you're going to have to act like you actually are related. Calling yourself Vlad Phantom isn't going to be enough."

"Oh, but Jazz, the little badger and I," Vlad was suddenly sitting next to Danny and had an arm around his shoulder, "are thick as thieves, aren't we, Daniel?" Danny forced an awkward smile.

"Now that is perfect, do you remember the rest of the plan?" Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Yes, in point of fact you didn't even need to accompany us for this portion of it."

"Yes, she does, I want her here," Danny said firmly. Jazz gave him an adoring look that made him blush.

"Oh, Danny, you're growing up so fast," was all it took to turn that blush into a grimace.

"Jazz, you are only 3 years older than I am," Danny whined. The car pulled into an alleyway and stopped. The three got out and Danny tried to peer at the driver's seat only to see—

"Skulker?" The ghost hunter looked glumly at Danny. He was wearing a suit over his ecto-battlesuit.

"Hello, whelp." Danny tried not to laugh at the ghost, and didn't really succeed.

"You—you're a driver?"

"When I have to be," the ghost snapped.

"Come on now, we haven't a great deal of time." Vlad glanced at his watch and then frowned at Jasmine. "And you're sure you want to join us?" Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Of course." She let herself out of the car and held out a gun that quickly encased her in the Fenton Ghost Peeler suit. Danny and Vlad floated up through the roof of the limo, while Jazz activated the new jets in her boots and began to hover.

"So, uh, where do we go now?" Danny asked. Skulker drove the limo away, and Danny had to laugh at the way Skulker managed to drive in a manner that fully conveyed the fact that he was sulking. He noticed Vlad was watching the limo with a similar amusement and quickly stifled his own. He hated it when he did something similar to Vlad, especially with the other man going off all the time about converting Danny to be his heir.

"Why fly, of course. It's called Sky High for a reason, son," Danny clenched his fist at Vlad's words and then took a calming breath.

"Let's go then." And the three shot up into the air.

Vlad led them high up into the atmosphere, and then sped off, barely letting the two keep up. Danny was certain the halfa did it to remind them of how much Danny had to learn, and how far he had to go, and how good an idea this school was. Danny almost turned back then and there, but Jazz was right behind him. While Danny had the superpowers, he was glad his big sister was there, Jazz wasn't an adult yet, but she was just as good as one.

"Can't you two fly any faster?" Vlad was suddenly between Danny and Jazz. Danny grinned sheepishly.

"I can hit about 500 miles an hour in this thing tops," Jazz said. "But Danny's top speed is only 150 miles an hours, currently." Vlad frowned.

"Too slow," he said, grabbed both of them and before Danny or Jazz could protest they were moving faster than they ever had before in their lives. Then, Vlad made them intangible and Danny understood how the older halfa could get to Amity Park from his castle as fast as he did. Because Vlad had just broken the sound barrier before he went intangible, and now they were moving even faster with no wind resistance.

The lurch that came from stopping made Danny shoot forward out of Vlad's grasp and through the side of a tall building, still intangible. Vlad held onto Jazz and then waited for Danny to float back up to them, on the roof. Danny phased up through the floor and glowered at Vlad.

"Wow, how do you go that fast?" Vlad smirked as he walked to the side of the top of the skyscraper. He noticed it had large letters proclaiming its name: "Masters Tower."

"Just a matter of practice, son, that's what you'll be going to school for." Danny crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Flare is ready," Jazz said, and then fired into the sky. A giant flare exploded, forming the bright red face off Jack Fenton, grinning, and giving a thumbs up. Vlad's plasma blast tore through Jack's face seconds later.

"Uncle Vlad," Jazz scolded him and Danny started to ease between his sister and the arch nemesis she was about to goad. "You are to be nice, you hear me mister? That means no shenanigans and no villainous activity! YOU WILL BE GOOD."

Vlad and Danny both gaped at Jazz who, if she had their powers, would have vaporized them with her eyes alone. Danny gulped and looked at Vlad. The older halfa did look friendlier in his new Phantom coordinated colors, but now he looked like a kid who'd been spanked for stealing cookies before dinner.

"Now, since you're ruined the flare you might as well keep throwing ecto-blasts at it," Jazz sighed and Vlad smiled and clapped his hands together. Danny buried his face in his hands. Jazz's insistence on treating childish adults like children was not supposed to work on his greatest enemy, the scourge of the ghost world and richest man alive. It was just not fair; not fair, and not cool.

"So what is all this supposed to do? I thought we were going to Sky High?"

"We're trying to attract attention, son. Specifically, this sort of attention," Vlad stopped firing ectoblasts into the sky to point at a dot on the horizon that was rapidly becoming—

"Oh, my god!" Jazz said as she looked through the Fenton Ghost Binoculars and then made a sound that Danny could only mentally translate as: "Squee."

"Who is it, Jazz?" And then Danny could see who it was.

There were a number of superheroes in the world. Danny had never run into any but the ghost related sort, as that's what Danny's field of expertise was. After all, he was only 14. He'd help people in need but he didn't do he dangerous creepy villains that weren't ghosts. But he knew about them, saw it in the newspaper every now and then. Giant robot attacks New York, enraged super model falls into toxic waste and lays waste to Los Angeles… Tripod aliens in Rome, flying mutant sheep in London… Weird things didn't just happen because of ghosts.

Frankly, that's what made it a little easier for people to believe there weren't ghosts. With all the mad-science, mutants and other freaky things going on, ghosts were obviously fake. Unless you lived in Amity Park, or were a real ghost hunter.

All of that aside, Danny knew of quite a few super villains and the heroes that fought them. And of all them, there were two who stood out as paradigms of superheroics. They were the best of the best, a duo who could stop any villain, avert any disaster and save any crisis.

They were The Commander and Jetstream, and they were currently landing on the roof.

"Hello there, what seems to be the problem?" Jetstream was a beautiful looking woman, her suit of white and blue was extremely form-fitting, Danny couldn't help but notice. Her auburn hair wasn't mussed from flying and carrying her partner, The Commander in the least, Jazz couldn't help but notice. Vlad idly considered adding another woman to his "Kill their Husband and steal their love" list.

"Throwing energy blasts about willy nilly is a good way to put someone's eye out, or their face." The Commander was everything he seemed to be on television. Strength and power radiated from him. Danny knew that Jetstream was the one who could fly, and fight, but The Commander was invulnerable and super strong. And he was built like it, Danny wished he had muscles like that. Jazz wished The Commander was 20 years younger. Vlad reconsidered his ideas about Jetstream.

"You'll have to excuse me, I wanted to get your attention without putting any… civilians, in danger," Vlad replied smoothly. "But, we do need your help. My name is Vlad Phantom, and this is my son Danny, and my daughter Jasmine." Danny waved his hand weakly at the two but Jazz took the opportunity to gush.

"It is so cool to meet The Commander and Jetstream," she said, bouncing up and down slightly in her advanced robot suit.

"Pleasure to meet you all, what seems to be the problem?" The Commander asked.

"Well, as you can see my kids want to follow me into the family business, you know," Vlad winked at the two. "But a situation has come up where I'm going to have to go away for some time. And young Daniel here needs to continue learning to use his powers in a safe environment when I'm not around to supervise." The two heroes nodded.

"So where do we come into this?" Jetstream asked.

"Well, I've heard of an institution that trains superheroes. A Sky High? And I was wondering if you knew how I could enroll Daniel there for the year I'll be gone?" Danny perked up at this, only a year? So whatever plot Vlad had, it would take one year. That was valuable information.

"Yes, I do believe we can help. But we should find a safe place to talk first," Jetstream said. Vlad nodded.

"A fantastic idea, let us adjourn inside," Vlad said as he opened a door into the building. Then he turned to Jetstream and The Commander, and let his ghostly disguise fade away into his human form. The two superheroes paused.

"Vlad Masters?" The Commander asked, incredulously. Danny raised an eyebrow and shifted out of his ghost form while Jazz depowered the Fenton Ghostpeeler.

"Indeed, I hope my revealing my identity garners a bit of trust from you." Vlad said it to the Commander and Jetstream, but Danny knew he was talking to him as well. Then he led the two superheroes in doors.

"Remember Danny," he felt Jazz's hand on his shoulder as she whispered to him. "We don't have to trust him, just believe he's being sincere." Danny frowned.

"Isn't that, like, the same thing?" It was Jazz's turn to frown.

"Uh, no. Duh," she said and walked inside behind their fake father. Danny followed and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Will Stronghold stumbled into his family's kitchen, wincing slightly with each step. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and settled himself at the kitchen counter, levering one foot up to put the ice on it. Will idly wondered where his parents were, and if he should panic at the pain in his foot. 

Because Will Stronghold was no ordinary boy. Oh sure, he looked like one. His hair was mousy brown and he had a friendly, all American face with soft brown eyes. However, Will was the son of two very important people, Josie and Steve Stronghold. In Maxville, they were known as the most successful realty dealers in the area. To the rest of the world, though, they were known as The Commander and Jetstream, the most successful superhero duo on the planet. And Will was lucky enough—after a late bloom in his freshman year last year—to have inherited both of his parents' powers, flight and super-strength.

So, Will had gotten his sprained ankle lifting up a semi-truck and stepping through an open man-hole… well, long story short, the only thing that got hurt was Will, and Will was a bit worried, because Will was supposedly invulnerable. And yet, here was this sprained ankle, that was really starting to swell.

He perked up at the sound of his parents walking up to the house and entering. They were having a heated debate about something.

"—And I don't know why you don't like him, Josie. He showed us his secret identity—"

"Don't you listen, Steve? That's just it! His secret identity is Vlad Masters. You know that the International Superhero Alliance has suspected him of villainous activity for years and just never been able to prove anything."

"That **is** just it, Josie, nothing was proved. We have a little saying in this country, that you are innocent until you are proven guilty." Will frowned and tried to move his chair to get a better view of his parents, before they walked into the kitchen. Both of them were in their civilian disguises. His father's suit looked a little rumpled and of course his mother still looked perfectly pressed. His mom did have quite a bit more poise than his father.

"Oh shut up—Will, oh my god, what happened?" His parents stared at him, and Will felt himself flush a bit.

"Wow, yeah, what happened, buddy?" His dad was moving forward, and his presence was somehow a mixture of The Commander and 'dad.' It was a comforting feeling when both your parents could turn on the superhero, so to speak, at the drop of a hat. A hat, filled with trouble? Will let the metaphor go before it started to hurt his head.

"Hey mom, hey dad. Uhm, well I know I'm not supposed to use my powers not at school, but there was a puppy trapped under a semi, and…" Will trailed off and then shrugged helplessly.

"Oh, Will, we understand your desire to help, but this is why it's not safe to use your powers outside of school," his mother said. She began to examine his ankle. "At least you got ice on it quickly, I'm going to get some bandages, it's just a bad twist."

Steve Stronghold moved to his son's side and sat down. "Let me guess," he said, looking at his son ruefully, "you didn't watch where you were stepping when you were lifting the truck?" Will blushed more.

"Yeah, I stepped in a manhole and then I just kind of folded on this ankle trying to balance." The teen boy paused and then cleared his throat. This was difficult to ask, especially after all the trouble he'd gone through getting his powers. "Dad, I am invulnerable, right? Cuz this hurts a lot."

There was a brief silence before his dad laughed disarmingly.

"Will, just because you're invulnerable doesn't mean you're invincible. Now, I think you're only a 6 on the Pym-Stark invulnerability scale, for now, but someday you're going to be a 10 just like me. Until then, it's important to remember, your joints and other weak points are still vulnerable. Be careful, son." He clapped his son on the shoulder.

"Thanks, dad. I'll try and be more careful." Will was smiling now, his fears properly assuaged.

"That's my boy, but you did save the puppy, right?" Steve's voice wasn't interrogating, but it was pointed.

"Of course!" Will protested.

The smile his dad gave him was filled to the brim with fatherly pride.

"Anyways, Steve," his mom came back from wherever she had disappeared to with some medical tape. "I still don't trust Masters." Steve threw his hands up in the air and went to get a glass of water.

"Masters?" Will asked cautiously. His parents didn't argue often, and when they did it was either something really minor or superhero related.

"The man we were talking about, honey. Apparently he's got super-powers and so does his son, who is…" Will found his mom was looking at him speculatively as she tied up his ankle. "Your age… Steve, I think you're right." Will looked at his dad who had the look of someone who just heard the phrase: "you've just won a million dollars!"

"You do? YOU DO? YES!" Will had to stifle a chuckle as his father began to dance around the kitchen, clapping his hands over his head and swinging his hips.

"Oh, hush you. I don't think you're right about Masters, but you are right about his son deserving a chance. And I think our son can help give him that chance." Will eyed the door, wondering about escape possibilities, but his curiosity won out.

"What are you guys talking about," he asked as his mother finished taping up his ankle.

"Well, your father and I got a call from the mayor about some explosions and flares in the middle of the city. Long story short, it was Vlad Masters," Will opened his mouth and his mom nodded. "Yes, **the** Vlad Masters, the billionaire. Apparently he has super-powers, and his youngest son has inherited them." His mom stoop up, satisfied with her work on his ankle.

"So, Vlad has to take some year long trip to the—uh Ghost Zone, and he'll be gone for a year. During that time, he wants Danny, that's his son, to attend Sky High. And if I'm thinking what your mother's thinking, we'd like you to take his son under your wing. You are the big dog on campus," said his father with pride and Will blushed.

"And, although your father disagrees, he can't argue with the ISA," Josie said. "Masters is shady at best. So, Will, we'd also like it if you tried to, you know, take care of Danny, like you do with Warren." Will frowned.

Will's best friend, or rather, his best male friend, was Warren Peace. Warren attended Sky High, and was a year older than him (Warren's mom had just gotten him his first car and promised him a flying car if he brought up his GPA, the bastard). Aside from being a fiercely loyal (emphasis on the fierce) friend and a powerful pyrokinetic, Warren had a shadow over him, cast by his father, Baron Battle. Will didn't like to think about it too much, the frustration of not being able to help Warren was… well it made him itch in a way that wasn't physical.

It didn't help that when Warren first met Will, all he cared about was that Steve Stronghold had been the one to put Baron Battle in prison.

"Will, you know we both love Warren," his mother said reassuringly. "But you do spend a lot of time soothing his temper, you have to admit. We just want you to keep an eye on Daniel Masters." Will rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing, mom. What powers does he have? What's he look like?" At that, his mother's face twisted amusingly.

"We don't know how many powers they have," Steve said. "The daughter, Jasmine, wore a mechanical war suit, but Vlad and Danny both—well I don't know what their powers are. Vlad was shooting energy blasts, either from a gun or from his hands… They can shapeshift a bit, or else those are really cool costumes," The Commander's eyes lit up with glee and Will grinned at his goofy father.

"I'm sure you'll find out at school, Will," said his mother. "He'll be pretty easy to spot, he's got white hair and glowing green eyes when he's using his powers. But will you keep an eye on him?" Will sighed. Sophomore year was already looking to be more of a chore than he wanted.

"Sure, mom. I promise."

End Note—Problems? Questions? Put them in the review and I'll be sure to answer them

Thanks to: Nonasuki-chan, Sasia93, dark-angel miyuki, and Freaklvl27. I hope I explained everything Sky High related in a way that makes sense. You guys should watch the movie, it's a slasher's paradise.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—I hope you're paying attention, you never know when the slash will show up… Also, this is going to be the average chapter length, now that the introductory chapters are done. So updates will be more along an alternating weekly basis. Also, yes, I am playing with what people know about the movie, and the show, but everyone can enjoy it, I believe. Also, I turned 21 today, so there may be a delay in the next chapter...

**Chapter, The Third**

**Saved By the Bell**

Time had a way of flying that had nothing whatsoever to do with ghost powers. It was the day before Danny was supposed to attend Sky High, and of course his father had to accidentally spill a pie all over the ecto-regulator for the ghost portal.

Danny was still unsure how exactly one spilled pie—it wasn't exactly soup—but if anyone was going to do it, it would be Jack Fenton.

"RAWRGH" the ghost lion roared at him and Danny threw up an ecto-shield around the animal. It roared and clawed at the glowing green barrier, but to no avail.

"Right on, Danny," Tucker cheered and then activated the Fenton Ghost Thermos. The lion started to yowl like a house-cat as it was sucked into the device. Danny wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of a hand.

"I think that's all of them," he said, slowly letting his body fall to the ground, and turn back into Danny Fenton. He sighed at the feeling of grass beneath him and stretched his aching muscles. Danny felt exhausted, after running around Amity Park all day fighting and collecting ghosts. He was just glad Vlad was staying true to his word. Not a hide, nor hair, could be seen of half of his usual enemies.

He felt, more than saw, Tucker sit down next him.

"So, Danny," the black boy began. "You go to your new school tomorrow, don't you?" Danny nodded, staring straight up at the partially cloudy sky. Tucker lay down next to him, but he was staring at Danny, not the sky.

"Yeah, yeah I do, Tuck." Tucker's hand played with some grass.

"How are you feeling?" Danny sighed.

"I guess, well—nervous of course. But, also really excited, you know? I mean, this is going to be a really good experience, at least for learning to control my powers." Danny was very conscious of Tucker's body, the closeness of it, and the scent of his best friend of so many years; his best friend, who had been in school with him for as long as Danny could remember. Tucker had been a support for all the crazy stuff that had happened since The Accident.

"It's the end of an era, isn't it?" Tucker lay back now, to stare at the same cloud Danny was. Now it was Danny's turn to roll over and face his friend, worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked. He really didn't like the way Tucker was talking for some reason.

"Dude, it's just that we've always been in school together, Danny. You, me, and Sam—we've taken on the world together, man. And now you're not gonna be there."

"Hey, it's not gonna be that bad. I'm still going to be at home, a lot. I don't care if Vlad has set up a room in his castle for me, there is no way I'm going to live in that creepy old thing," Danny hastened to reassure his friend.

"Yeah, I know. But you're going to superhero school…" Tucker trailed off miserably. Danny gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"Hey, Tuck, listen to me. You're my best friend, man. We're tight, no one's going to come between us, and Sam. We're for the long haul," Danny said firmly and Tucker grinned at him.

"Good, I needed to hear that." Danny grinned now.

"Needed to hear what?" The two boys looked away from each other to see a darkly dressed girl saunter up to them.

"Hey, Sam, Danny was just promising to not replace us with cooler sidekicks," Tucker said blithely, no sign of his earlier emotional state was present. Sam rolled her eyes and flopped down next to the boys.

"Duh, who would want to hang out with him, anyways," Sam teased. Danny glowered at her playfully and the three teens enjoyed their last bit of free summertime together.

* * *

When Will walked out to the bus stop for his neighborhood, his best friend in the whole world was waiting for him. Layla Williams had known Will for as long as he could remember, and if it weren't for the fact that sometimes their friendship dipped into romance, he'd say she was like his sister. 

"Will, what are you doing? I thought you'd take advantage of your… alternate mode of transportation?" Will grinned at Layla, who was currently finger combing her brilliant red hair.

There were only a few kids at Sky High who could actually fly. Will, happily, happened to be one of the privileged few. Most days, he flew straight to school, or rather, to where the sky buoy was that identified him and told him where Sky High was that day. The school had to move around a great deal; there were entirely too many tempting targets for super-villains going to the school.

Ever since last year, security measures had become quite a bit stricter. But Will did not want to think about last year, not at all. This was a new year, and it would be better. Hopefully.

"I thought it'd be nice to take the bus for the first day," Will replied. Layla raised an eyebrow, and her lips quirked into a smile as she walked alongside the boy.

"So, how was—" Will decided to start some innocuous conversation.

"Costa Rica? Fantastic. The rain forest was incredible." Will couldn't help but notice how Layla's face became so much more animated as she talked. Layla had more than just a love of nature; her superpower was control over plant life. It was a really cool power, in Will's mind, although he would never give up flying. Ever.

"—And Mom could not believe how foul mouthed the howler monkeys got when it rained. It was bad enough to listen to them hooting and hollering, but apparently they're just screaming swear words at the top of their lungs." Will chuckled.

The two chatted on, as two people who are very comfortable with each other do. If it had been only a couple months earlier, they would have been hand in hand as they walked. The second break-up was a bit of a tense issue, one that Will and Layla calmly pretended hadn't happened. Most of the tension was on Will's side of the equation. But for the moment, all of their romantic past was being pushed aside by their friendship.

They came to the corner of the street and waited for a large yellow school bus to pull up. A large brunette woman, the sort that brought Valkyries and Viking war queens to mind, opened the bus door. Will and Layla dashed inside the crowded bus.

"Yo, Will, Layla, back here!" yelled a tall blond kid in the back. Will grinned and began walking down the aisle. Layla followed behind him smiling contentedly. But when Will came to an empty row, a few seats in front of their friends, he paused. And then he sat in the row. Layla raised an eyebrow and made to sit with him, but Will put out a hand to stop her.

"Listen, Layla, I can't explain right now, but I'm supposed to meet someone and sit with them. For my parents," he said softly, and Layla frowned, looking a bit miffed, but walked back towards to their friends, all of whom were looking confused. Will sighed and maneuvered his backpack around to the floor. The bus drove on for a bit.

Will concentrated on his hands so he didn't have to listen to everyone talking around him. He wanted to be with his friends, talking about whether the new school policies regarding sidekicks, and heroes, would make the year easier or harder. Just shooting the breeze about school stuff, wondering if any of the teachers had changed, wondering if anyone had heard from Warren since he went to China…

The bus gave a lurch and Will realized it had just warped to another city. Since his and Layla's neighborhood used to be the last stop for their bus, this must be—Danny's stop. Will looked up at the front of the bus as it slowed down, and then opened the doors. Will first saw black hair, and then a blue eyed, uneasy looking, teenage boy about his own height appear. Had to be him.

"Hey, Danny!" Will yelled. The boy started visibly and Will caught his eye. He waved at Danny, and could hear various people break out into whispers on the bus. Danny flushed at all the attention, but made his way down to Will's seat.

"Uh, hey," Danny said awkwardly while taking the proffered seat by Will.

"Hey, man, my name's Will. You met my parents," he said and then Danny grinned.

"Oh, hey. Well, I'm Danny, which you already know," the black haired boy muttered the last bit to himself as if he was chastising himself. Will laughed and suddenly felt a lot less nervous about this. And then he remembered what his mother said, about Vlad Masters. He had to be careful.

"So, uh, The Commander and Jetstream, huh? That must be pretty—uh, cool," Danny said. Will pasted a friendly smile on his face.

"Well it can be, but, like, you guys see my dad out saving the world, and all I see is his butt in spandex. So it can be cool, but it can also be so lame." Danny laughed, and Will noticed that when he laughed he closed his eyes and flashed his very white teeth.

"Man, I know what you mean," Danny said, ruefully.

"Yeah, your dad is a superhero, right?" Danny shrugged.

"He is, but not like yours. We deal with ghosts, mostly." Will opened his mouth, he was sure his parents hadn't mentioned that.

"Ghosts? Like, 'boo' ghosts?"

"Yeah, like that. Only really unfriendly and a tendency to view humans as playthings."

"I didn't think ghosts existed."

"Yeah, I—hey what are these straps doing?" Danny grabbed the seat straps that had just appeared, practically pinning the two teen boys to the seats. Will grinned.

"Oh, yeah, brace yourself, and don't panic." Danny turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"Why? What's going to happen?"

"Wait for it, wait for it…" Will said, grinning at Danny. Danny tried to look out the window behind Will's head.

"Uh, are we driving off of a—Oh whoa!" Danny yelled along with several incoming freshman that were sitting at the front of the bus. The bus fell for a second and then with a roar soared forward and up into the sky. Danny had grabbed Will's arm as the bus started to fall and only now let go.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, what's your power?" Will asked.

"I'm half ghost," Danny replied. Will gaped at Danny who chuckled a bit. "Okay, I can fly, manipulate ectoplasm, make copies of myself, turn invisible and go intangible." Will's mouth dropped further and Danny began to look self-conscious.

"What? Is that bad? Do I need more to get into the school?"

"Oh, no, no, not at all. Uh, actually you have a lot more superpowers than most of the kids at the school," Will said, slowly.

"Oh, well maybe you could keep that just between the two of us?" Danny's face was about as imploring as a puppy's, and there was no way Will could have said no to it.

"Okay, but people are going to find out."

"Yeah, that's how high schools work, isn't it?" Will nodded sadly in answer to Danny. "So, uh, what's your superpower?"

"I can fly, have super strength and I'm invulnerable." Now it was Danny's turn to gape, because if Will had his parents' powers, then maybe was as strong as them.

"Dude, are you as strong as your parents?" Will shrugged.

"Not really, they're a lot better with their powers than I am too, but I'm getting there. I benched a Hummer this summer," Will said happily.

"Wow, dude, that's impressive—" Danny started and then stopped, his eyes growing wide as he stared out the window. Will grinned and looked out to see Sky High floating between the clouds.

The school was a simple platform that resembled a bowl with a top. The main buildings were on the surface of the bowl, with a lot of classrooms and storage rooms lurking within the bowl itself.

"Holy crap, that is incredible," Danny swore softly to himself. He leaned across Will to get a better look out the window. Will looked at the back of Danny's neck, felt the heat of his body and became very, very uncomfortable. He tapped Danny on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry man," Danny said and then sat back down.

"No problem, anyways, welcome to Sky High. Brace yourself for landing," Will added as the bus began to set down, not so smoothly. Danny eyed the other kids all standing up and trying to shove past each other out the bus.

"Let's go this way," he said, grabbing Will's arm. Suddenly, Will felt as if his entire body was at once lighter than air and tingling all over. Danny pulled him forward and—was Danny looking more like an outline than a person? Suddenly Will noticed the tingling had increased, as he was moving _through the wall of the bus._

"WAH!" Will yelped as Danny and he dropped to the ground outside the bus. Danny grinned at him.

"Intangibility," the ghost boy said with a wink.

"I thought you wanted to keep your powers on the down low?" Will asked, bemused.

"Oh, ah—err—yeah. Oops," Danny flushed and Will grinned. Whoever this kid was, Will liked him.

"Let me show you around, were you supposed to go anywhere specifically?" Danny frowned and hoisted his backpack on his shoulders.

"Yes, I have to see Principal Powers. What's she like?"

Will set off walking and Danny kept pace with him. "She's a pretty righteous lady. Used to be the Silver Comet, went to Sky High with my mom. Just don't get on her bad side, you wouldn't like her bad side."

"Is she hot like your mom?" Danny murmured and then slapped his hands over his mouth. Will stared at him, horrified with his mouth open. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"What did you say?" Will was mortified to hear his voice squeak and Danny's flushed face was suddenly trying to muffle a snicker.

"Okay, let's pretend that last exchange didn't happen, right?" Danny said, and Will nodded firmly.

"Yes, that sounds good. Uh, well this way to the Principal's office," said Will, and he led Danny off into the high school. He wasn't sure what to think of the kid, now. His mom? Hot? Will felt kind of sick, but only for a moment because Danny was almost flinching from the stares people were casting them. There were times Will really wished he wasn't so well known, that his parents weren't the premier super beings on the planet, and that most of all he wasn't viewed as heir to the Stronghold family crime-fighting, planet-saving and general good-doing legacy.

That didn't mean for a second that he wished he could stop helping people, just that people wouldn't stare at him, or his friends, when he did. So he grabbed Danny by the wrist and pulled him into the school, where in the confines of the corridors no one could stop and stare.

* * *

Danny had been terrified, for all sorts of reasons, when he boarded the bus. For one, he hadn't had Sam and Tucker by his side. For another, this was a separate high school, a new one. One filled with super powered kids. It probably had super powered bullies… 

Danny smiled inside for a second as he remembered that he could use his superpowers too. He'd like to see someone stuff him in a locker when they couldn't touch him.

He'd been broken out of his anxious reverie by a voice calling his name. Discovering Will—who was not just a cool guy, but also the son of The Commander and Jetstream—was a boon for Danny. Will knew all the things that Danny had been worried about that he couldn't talk to Jazz about and that he'd never ever, ever, go to Vlad with.

The school wasn't quite what he'd expected. Originally, it had divided all of its students into two tracks. There was the superhero track, where one learned cool things like Mad Science and replayed major Hero-Villain Battles. The other track was the Support Hero, more commonly called the Sidekick track, and it was… Well you still learned cool stuff, according to Will, like using grappling belts, first aid and color coordination (for costumes, Will explained). But, you were separate from the heroes, and not viewed as important.

Due to some recent changes, the school was now totally different. Everyone was lumped together on the "hero" track, only now the division came during Power Practice. People with powers that had little to no combat use would be herded away to learn "support" hero tactics. Will had conveyed to Danny that although he, Will Stronghold, was not entirely pleased with the changes, it was a good start.

Now they were finally at Principal Powers's office. Danny took a deep breath and looked to Will—he wasn't sure why—for support. The other boy just smiled, and Danny knocked on the door.

"Come in," was the muffled response and the two boys stepped inside. Principal Powers, Danny simply could not help but notice, was cut from the same cloth as Jetstream. The hot cloth.

"Well, you must be Daniel Masters. Welcome to Sky High, young man. I'm glad Will was able to help you today, he is one of our prized students," Powers said. Her dark sable hair was artfully wavy, emphasizing cheeks made for smiling and a body that Danny was pointedly not checking out, because she was old, like his mother's age, at least. And that was wrong. Or something. Danny noticed that Will had flushed slightly, and turned his head away from them.

"Anyways, Will, if you don't mind, would you just take Daniel around to all of your classes?" Danny felt a wave of relief that Will would be showing him around.

"All of them?" Will asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, including the Omega level Powers Practice. I'm not sure if Danny has told you, but he possesses a variety of powers. More, even, than he's aware of," Powers said and stared into Danny's eyes. Danny felt pinned to the seat by that stare.

"Really?" Will blurted out. Principal Powers smiled.

"Yes, your father, Daniel, was kind enough to submit us a complete list, along with the admission that you could develop some power independent of this list." Danny would give his arm, his leg, and perhaps even his other arm, to have that list. Trust Vlad to cement his decision to attend the school for him. Of course, with his powers, he could probably get at it fairly easily…

"So, if you two are ready to go, enjoy your day at Sky High. And if there's anything I can do for either of you, please do let me know," Powers said with a smile that was also a very clear dismissal. Will grabbed Danny's arm and pulled him out into the hall. Danny wondered what his hurry was.

"C'mon, we're already 15 minutes late for Mad Science." Danny grinned, now this sounded like fun. The two ran down the empty halls of the school before skidding to halt in front of a fairly non-descript door. Danny stood on his toes to look inside as Will opened the door, and almost swallowed his tongue. A man with the largest, and baldest, head that Danny had ever seen, bigger than Technus's, even, was lecturing the class with a gun in his hand.

"—And as you can see, the quantum possibility principle is what makes the shrink ray possible, when used in conjunction with the correct fluctuation of gamma radiation to stimulate the reconstitution of the subject at its basic molecular level. Now we—Oh, yes, Mr. Stronghold, Mr. Masters, please take your seats." Danny followed along behind Will and noticed he was on the receiving end of some rather penetrating stares. Danny was a bit tired of being stared at, even if most of the stares seemed to focus on Will, too.

Danny sat down next to Will at the elevated workstation. Every pair of students was set up with a workstation that was littered with various mechanical bits and pieces.

"Anyways, please begin," the teacher concluded and then walked over to Danny and Will's desk.

"Hello, Professor Medulla," Will jumped in before the man could say anything.

"Hello, Will, I see you've taken our new student under your wing," Danny tried not to stare to obviously at the man's huge cranium. He could swear he saw it pulsing.

"Anyways, here is a blueprint that you can work from for today's assignment. You remember how to assemble a heat ray, from last year?" Will nodded. "Good, because this is a shrinking ray. Instead of just routing the power through a crystal matrix for a heat ray, you're going to be routing it through a quantum-gamma-ray matrix, as detailed here. Mr. Masters, you're going to have a lot of work to catch up on," and Danny raised a hand.

"I, uh, may not have too much experience in the class room, but my dad has a lot of stuff he's built we use to fight ghosts." Medulla sniffed disdainfully.

"I'm sure your father's knowledge is quite adequate for your line of work, but you are no longer at home, you are in my laboratory. And you will follow this coursework I have outlined in your syllabus to catch yourself up." Danny gulped as the teacher slammed down a rather dense looking booklet.

"If I were you, I'd start now. Mr. Stronghold, because I expect you to help Mr. Masters, I'll be giving you a bit of… leeway with your grades this semester. Don't get any ideas about it." Will grinned, and Danny sulked as the bald-headed jerk wandered away from the desk.

"He likes you, normally he won't say anything," Will said in a low tone and Danny stared at Will as if he had two heads.

"Dude, he just totally reamed me out for being a transfer student, and now I have all this work to do—oh my god, I'm going to be as behind in the other classes, aren't I?" Danny looked at Will and his face must have conveyed how overwhelmed he suddenly felt. Will put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing a bit. Danny felt himself relax a little, and realized how much he relied on Tucker and Sam to just be there, when he needed them.

He was so damn glad Will was there. He'd just met the kid, and even though his parents had probably asked him to hang out with 'the new kid' or something, he was glad.

"Don't worry about it. Mad Science is the hardest class here—" Will started and Professor Medulla magically appeared by their sides.

"Of course it is, most heroes aren't equipped for the rigorous mental exercises needed for Mad Science. Now I suggest you two get to work, you can commiserate over the terrible burden of the education that will save your life outside of my lab." Danny sneered at the back of Medulla's head as the teacher walked away.

"Hey," a foot was nudging his leg and he looked up at Will's cheerful face. "Don't worry, man, seriously. Here, since this gun uses the basic ray frame, let's start with this. There're two main families of energy weapons, beams and rays. Rays always, always have—" Danny listened as hard as he could to Will's voice, but he just wasn't terribly interested. Tucker would love this stuff, he'd probably had built the shrinking ray by the time Will had finally gotten him to understand why a laser, although the basis for beams and rays, was in fact in a category all of its own from the two main energy projectile families.

"—And there's more advanced stuff here, like rays also contain pulses and waves, but beams have blasters and some really weird energy constructs," Will was talking and looking at Danny, while he was assembling the gun. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"How are you telling me all this without looking at what you're doing?" Will shrugged.

"I learned a lot last year," he said simply, and Danny could practically feel the tension radiating off the other boy. He sensed dangerous ground, and backed off.

"Well, I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at this stuff," Danny said paging through the booklet Medulla had given him. Half of the diagrams made his stomach do flip-flops because he had no idea what they were even supposed to be showing.

Time did fly through, whether it was because Will working was fascinating to watch or because Will was just a really easy guy to chat with. Before Danny knew what was going on, they were being excused for the lunch break.

"Dude, your lunch break starts at 11:30?" Danny was reading his schedule, "and ends at 1:15?"

"Yeah, most kids eat and then go to do work or independent power practice in one of the lower gyms. It helps a lot to get work done in between classes, especially since most of us don't have high-tech labs easily accessible outside of school." Danny's thoughts drifted to his parents' lab.

"Anyways, the cafeteria is this way. Now you can meet some of my friends," Will said brightly. Danny grinned nervously, he liked Will, a lot (he couldn't wait to tell Sam and Tucker all about everything) but he had purposely avoided talking to the other kids. He just wasn't sure why. It was probably discomfort at being at a completely new school, and having tons of work dumped on him. Or, it might be the fact that all day everyone had been staring at him, and Will.

Yeah, that could play a part.

"Anyways, and then we have 'Civilian Identities' from 1:15 to 2:05 and 'Villain Histories' from 2:05 to 3:30 and then school gets out. Now, where are they?" Danny tried to follow where Will was looking, and then he saw a group of kids waving at them.

"There they are! C'mon, Danny, meet the guys," Will's smile made Danny feel a bit less nervous and he followed along behind the other boy. Will's friends at least would probably not stare at him. The came to a table filled with a rather diverse looking group.

A tall, white, blond-haired kid, who looked like he really wanted to be black, got up and grabbed Will into a half-hug.

"Dude, what was up with the bus this morning?" Will smiled uneasily.

"Sorry guys, I was just—well my parents told me that Danny—err I mean Danny meet the guys," Will floundered and Danny had to grin at the brown-haired boy who obviously was trying to say three things at once and garbling them all together terribly.

"Here, Will, sit down and take some deep breaths," said a rather fit looking red-headed girl. Her eyes were green-blue and Danny couldn't help but notice that her clothing looked very… fitting and natural. Yes, natural was a good word. She put him in the mind of sun-kissed grass and trees in the breeze.

Danny decided he liked her.

"Hi, my name is Layla, and I've known this spaz since we were this tall," she said putting a hand at hip level. She offered Danny her other hand and he shook it, noticing her hands weren't soft, but they weren't callused. Will grinned happily at the girl and Danny recognized another friendship like the one he had with Sam.

"I'm Danny F-Masters," he corrected and Layla's smile looked at odds with the quizzical expression in her eyes.

"He's Danny Phantom, from Amity Park," Will added and everyone at the table took in little breaths of surprise. Danny put a hand behind his head and blushed, cursing Will for revealing that, and thanking him for mistaking "Fenton" for "Phantom." The last thing he needed was people finding out that he wasn't Vlad's son and the whole thing was a lie.

"Oh, wow, you're the Ghost Boy?" The boy, who asked this, looked exactly like Tucker… except Tucker's hair wasn't so curly—and this boy wasn't wearing a beret. And, well, they looked different, but the glasses and skin color were exactly the same, even if Tucker was a bit taller… _Okay_, Danny admitted silently, _he doesn't look like Tuck. But he kinda does… just not at all_. _I hope this doesn't make me racist._

"Yeah, that's me," Danny said and then sat down as Will made the two other boys scoot down to make room for him. Danny looked gratefully at Will, the guy was a savior. Will then took up introductions.

"Anyways, this is Zach," blonde kid, handshake was very… enthusiastic. "Ethan," the Tucker not-look-alike, handshake was a little loose, but not floppy. "And last, but not least, Magenta," whoa, talk about look-alikes. Okay, so this girl didn't look anything like Sam, but she was just as Goth. The purple streak in the hair was an interesting touch that he had a feeling Sam would really like. The girl essayed a brief hand wave to him, which Danny returned.

"So, hey man, that's pretty awesome that you're already a hero," Zach said, in between bites of pizza. Danny slung his backpack around to pull out a bag lunch that his mom had made for him on his first day of "special school." At least his parents hadn't tried to make him see another therapist since he was supposedly going to a school catering to his psychological needs. After his first experience with a therapist being a ghost that fed off teen misery and his second experience being with a therapist who had tried to convince him his parents abused him, he was not big on the whole field of psychology.

"It's dangerous, is what it is. I can't believe your dad would let you do something like that," Layla said. Danny shrugged a bit.

"He's usually busy in the Ghost Zone, I just take care of the ghosts that make it through into this world."

"That is so totally sick, man. Who's your greatest villain?" Zach asked.

"Uhm, well, I guess it'd be an evil version of me from 10 years in the future," Danny replied. Zach's eyes went big and round, along with everyone else at the table. Except Magenta, but she looked like the kind of girl who went out of her way to be unimpressed by things.

"You already have an evil future version of yourself as a villain? Man, that is so righteous! You're so totally A-list, dude," Zach said. Danny grinned, and then launched into a tale of a fight with Skulker. He could get used to this.

"Hey, Danny, I'll be back in a bit," Will said suddenly. Danny started, looked at Will, and then nodded.

"Okay, thanks dude," the ghost boy replied, and then turned back to his audience. "So anyways, Skulker has me locked up with this ghost hunter who just hates my guts. And he's tell us we have to work together to survive this hunt he's got going on." Zach and Ethan were hanging on his every word and Danny couldn't help but feel really, really, cool. He had just noticed, though, that they had a whole table to themselves, and it was a fairly crowded lunchroom. Will must be a pretty big dog on campus.

"A reminder that the locker room walls are not see-through and any attempts to phase through them will get you stuck until a staff member releases you," blared the intercom and Danny had to laugh.

"So gross," Layla said. Magenta had pulled a book out and didn't deign to look up from it, just hum a little in response to Layla. Danny went back to story telling, when he heard a crash from behind. He turned around to see Will on the floor with a tall, dark haired boy standing over him. Danny didn't even stop to think. He went intangible and _moved_ to stand over Will.

"What's your problem, dude?" Danny snapped at the other boy. This guy had shoulder length dark hair and a dark aura around him. He wore a leather jacket and black jeans over a very dark shirt. He jerked back a bit when Danny appeared, and then glowered at Danny.

"None of your business, kid. See ya, Stronghold," the guy spat out before storming off. Danny glared at his back and clenched his fist, feeling the ectoplasmic energy beginning to collect around his fists.

"Hey, Danny, no worries. I'm invulnerable, remember?" Will was standing next to Danny and grabbed him by the wrist. "I just forgot that Warren has a 'no touching' policy. We're actually kinda friends." Danny lost all of his anger and just stared at Will.

"Friends, with that jerk? Are you kidding?" Will frowned.

"He's not a jerk, he's a lot like you in fact," Danny gaped at his new friend. What the hell did Will mean by that?

"Dude, I am nothing like that kid, at all!" Will bit his lip and Danny felt bad for yelling at the person who had taken all the time to help him navigate this bizarre new school.

"Well, you are a nice guy, so there is that difference," Will said tentatively, and Danny relaxed into a small grin. Just like that, everything was okay, again.

Only then did Danny notice everyone staring at him, and he did the only thing he could think of, and went invisible.

"Danny?"

"I'm still here," Danny whispered in Will's ear, making the other boy shiver as the warm air practically caressed his ear. "Uh, can you just walk back to our table?" Will nodded and walked forward. People were no whispering and looking at Will even more. Will, however, was a bit more used to being stared at. They walked back to their lunch table where Layla was looking concernedly at Will and Zach was looking baffled, as per usual.

"Hey, man, what was that all about? And where did Danny go?" Ethan asked, leaning forward onto the table with his elbows.

"I'm right here," the ghost boy said, before Will could open his mouth. Zack jumped a bit in his seat and Ethan laughed at his larger, clumsier friend. Will sat down and Danny sat beside him, dropping the invisibility.

"So, Danny, tell us the end of that story," Ethan asked, and Danny launched into story mode.

The rest of lunch passed without incident (minus the brief infusion of dinosaur when one of the shape-shifters lost control on some too-spicy salsa). Danny decided that he liked Will's friends, and he spent the next couple periods chatting with them about: nothing in particular (Zack), school stuff and things he needed to learn (Ethan), the school, the rainforest and how his day was going (Layla), and nothing at all because they didn't say anything to each other (Magenta).

But right now, Danny was feeling exhausted. And Villain Histories, his last class, and one that should by all rights be thrilling and exciting, was boring him to tears. The professor was a droning willowy woman who looked like the slightest bit of pressure would make her break clean in half.

"—Of course, after Lady Dementia had finished with turning the congress into flesh-eating zombies, Captain Strong had few options before him. Who can tell me what he did to fight the zombies, and why? Anyone? The answer is that—" The door opened and the boy who'd been bullying Will at lunch—_Warren_, that's right—came into the room. He was scowling. Danny would bet money that that scowl was his default facial expression. The teacher looked up at Warren, her gaze as mild as milk.

"Yes, Mr. Peace?"

"Coach Boomer wants the new kid, Masters," the black haired boy responded in his rich baritone. Danny turned to look at Will for confirmation but his friend just shrugged.

"Hey, I got off on the wrong foot with Warren, too, at first. He's really a swell guy," Will said and Danny smiled weakly.

"Well, go on Mr. Masters," the teacher said. Danny shoved his syllabi into his backpack and walked out of the classroom. Warren closed the door behind him and Danny turned to look at him.

The two boys stood, like that, staring into each other's eyes. Danny broke the stare first, by snorting.

"Where do I go?" he asked. Warren sneered a little.

"Follow me," was the curt response Danny received.

"Dude, what is your problem?"

"Hn."

"Whatever Will won't stop saying you're a nice guy under all this, but whatever."

"Stronghold is an optimist."

"Wow, what a newsbreak."

"Listen, you little punk. You don't know me, and you don't know Will." Danny stared at the other boy. The way Warren said Will's name was… Well Danny was a teenage boy, and therefore not very sensitive, but he could hear the emotion in Warren's voice.

"Are you guys, like—uh, you know—" Danny crossed his fingers and for a second he thought he'd given Warren an embolism.

"WHAT?" screamed the other boy, after a brief pause. "What in the hell would make you think that?" Danny flushed.

"Uh, I don't know, sorry. You just… Well you sounded all—emotional, and stuff, when you said his name. Listen, I'm sorry, dude, totally." But Warren had just begun stalking down the hall, without waiting for Danny. The black-haired halfa sighed and ran on forward. He'd managed to lure the reticent older boy into a conversation, and then blown it with a 'gay' comment.

It did beg the question, though. Why had Danny asked that? Maybe Warren was… jealous that Will had ditched him and his other friends for Danny? But Danny had only been at the school for a friggin' day, and that was a day that wasn't even over yet. Besides, Will didn't seem gay, although tall dark and brooding could be, with silky looking hair like that.

_'Okay, Fenton, stop that. Think about Paullina. Paullina…'_ Danny's thoughts, having taken a more pleasing turn, distracted him until he realized he'd followed Warren into a large room with several other older kids.

"Welcome back, Peace, now get over there with the rest of your group. You, Masters, come over here," Danny walked over to a slightly paunchy older man with dark brown hair that hadn't begun to bald yet.

"I'm coach Boomer, also known as Sonic Boom. Normally kids get sorted out power-wise their freshman year. Since you're a transfer, I'm going to want to get an idea of which of your powers you currently possess. So, wow me, boy." Danny looked at the group of upper-classmen whom were all staring at him.

"Do I have to do it in front of them?" Boomer's smile had too many teeth in it to be friendly.

"No, no you don't, you can do this at your own pace and time—Of course you have to. Now stop being a crying whiner-baby and POWER UP," bellowed the coach and Danny felt himself behind pushed back by the sound. So he went intangible.

"Intangibility, nice. Show me the others." Danny glared at the coach and, pointedly ignoring the stares on his back, floated up off the ground.

"You can hover, can you fly?" Danny sighed and then flew around the room in a circle before touching down in front of the coach.

"What are you doing? Keep on going! Show me everything you can do." Danny scowled and made a copy of himself, became invisible, summoned ecto-energy to mold and finally used his ghostly wail. The last did quite a bit of damage to the gym, but as Danny watched the room began to repair itself.

"All right, that does cover everything that your father says you can do, except overshadowing, for now," Danny cursed, did all the teachers at the school know what he could do? Damn Vlad. Boomer put his clipboard under his arm.

"Since you've already had some practice with real world hero-work, and your powers, Principal Powers has elected to place you in this senior seminar group. We'll be able to maximize your power potential. So get on over there and meet your group. I've got a bit of paperwork to do." Danny gulped and turned to face the older looking kids.

"Hey, I'm Joy," Danny found himself overwhelmed by two smells, perfume and bubblegum, and one color, blond. The girl was going to town on the gum in her mouth, but with her perfect teeth and delicately manicured hands, she reminded him of Star, Paullina's blond cheerleading friend.

"Nice to meet you," Danny shook the proffered hand.

"Oh, aren't you, like, so totally adorable. C'mon, meet the rest of our group. I mean, you already, like, totally know Warren who, by the way, you should, like, totally ignore when he's all gloomy and doomy," Warren sneered at Danny as the boy cast a glance at him. Warren was standing slightly apart from the group.

"Anyways, this is Ryan," she gestured to a sandy-haired agile looking boy who shook Danny's hand. It was, Danny noticed, a very, very firm handshake.

"That was a pretty impressive show you put on there, Masters." Danny flushed and Joy hit Ryan on the shoulder as hard as she could. The boy barely moved.

"Ryan, oh my god, be nice! Danny, ignore him, he just feels, like, totally inadequate. This is Emma," Joy nodded to a platinum blond with a shrewd expression on her face.

"Call me, Frost," she said in a low sultry voice that seemed to bypass Danny's ears and head straight to his pants.

"Yes-es," Danny's voice broke and he wanted to die. Joy laughed.

"Oh you, like, are so cute. And last, but, like, not least, this is Maya," Danny shook hands with a slim Indian girl. Her dark eyes were exotic looking and her lips were a dark honey color.

"Pleased to meet you," she said, and sounded anything but. Danny shook her hand as well, and discovered that someone could convey complete disinterest in another person while actively touching said person.

"Well, you said, I mean, you didn't really, Coach Boomer did, but, like, you're already hero-ing? What's your disguise?"

Danny closed his eyes, and for the first time that day, he let his Danny Phantom identity slide over him, and felt his powers fully embrace his body. He felt powerful and more confident, and he even smiled with a cockiness he hadn't felt all day. Turning into Phantom was a rush, the best kind.

"Oh, my, god! You are, like, so totally hot!" Joy giggled and Danny, instead of blushing, attempted a rogue-ish grin. It came across as about as dangerous as a baby Labrador, but Joy waved her hand coquettishly at him anyways.

"You're the ghost boy from Amity Park," said Emma, her eyes were sparkling with speculative light.

"Dude, that's tight," Ryan said and Danny turned his grin to the other boy. Ryan had a lopsided grin on his face.

"All right, my little flowers, it's time for you to have your first exercise for the day," Boomer had reappeared with his customary clipboard under his arm and a ball held in his palm. Danny looked at his new classmates, and wished he knew what was going on.

"Your goal today is a friendly little exercise that should familiarize yourself with your team-mate's powers. Your goal, is to catch this little ball," Boomer held up the ball, which was a bit bigger than a tennis ball and looked like it was made of blue rubber. He dropped the ball, and it bounced. But instead of losing force on the bounce, it gained it.

"You have about 20 minutes before the ball will be bouncing too hard and fast for you to catch it. Oh, and you're all going to be competing to catch the ball. Don't hurt each other too badly." Danny gulped.

"Don't we, like, need protective gear?" Joy asked and Maya snorted derisively.

"What do all of our powers have in common, bubblehead?" Joy pressed a finger to her lips in thought.

"They all render us damage resistant in some manner, Joy," Emma replied tiredly. The bubblegum chewing blond gave an "oh" of surprise.

"Well, that's, like, good. So—"

"What are you girls doing standing around? Stop chattering and catch the BALL!" Boomer bellowed. His yell caught the ball in mid bounce and sent it flying around the gym. Danny opened his mouth to say something when Ryan tensed his legs and leapt up, to cling to the ceiling. Emma raised her hands and hoarfrost gathered on them as she closed her eyes. Maya darted after the ball and as Danny watched in astonishment she leapt and vanished into the air with a brilliant flash of light, only to reappear in front of the ball, which had just bounced off the wall.

A fireball roared up to Maya, and she vanished again, with a flare, out of its path. The ball hit the fire and bounced off the force of it. Warren, the source of the fire, started moving towards the end of the gym the ball was bouncing around. Danny could not help but stare at the longhaired boy, because his arms were on fire.

"Well, like, c'mon, Danny, go for it!" Joy said cheerfully and she took of after the ball. Danny shrugged and levitated into the air. Ryan was bouncing around the ball, each jump making him shoot into the air and then grab a column, or bounce of the roof. Maya was now trying to subdue Warren; her skin had become translucent and sparkly.

Emma waved her hand and a burst of cold shot out at the ball. It became icy but didn't slow much. Joy cartwheeled over towards the ball when Ryan threw himself into the air at Joy. The two began to do acrobatics around each other. Maya had grabbed Warren by the throat and was preparing to throw him; the slim girl that looked carved of crystal had lifted Warren above her head. And Emma was—

Danny was very suddenly encased in ice and found that he could feel very, very cold indeed. Emma smirked triumphantly at him and Danny found himself getting angry. And then Ryan practically flew off the ceiling, he jumped so hard, and shoulder slammed into a cart wheeling Joy who was dodging the fireballs that seemed to be flying everywhere now.

Danny watched Ryan collide with the slender blond girl so forcefully he could swear he heard a crack. And suddenly Danny got very, very angry. Ecto-energy poured out of his body and shattered the ice. Suddenly there were four Danny's and each of them flew with blinding speed at Ryan. The other boy twisted himself into the air, contorting his slender frame in a way that looked frankly impossible.

Danny didn't care. One of his copies grabbed the boy and hurled him away from Joy, coincidentally towards Warren and Maya. Another hurled an ectoblast after Ryan, and the third had thrown up an ecto-shield that was at once encased in ice. The fourth Danny went to see if Joy was okay.

"Joy, are you—" he got out before Joy moved with preternatural speed. He went intangible and her fist went straight through his chest and she hit the ecto shield. With a shout Danny felt the shield crash and then Joy punched through at least 2 feet of solid ice. She grinned at Danny.

"Thanks, sweetie, but here, like, we're not friends, we're competition," and with a nimble, bubble-gum-chewing flip, she jumped out of the inverted ice bowl.

"MASTERS!" Each Danny turned to see a massive fire coming towards them. He was dimly aware of Ryan being tossed into the wall by Maya, who then vanished in another flash of light. The ball was practically forgotten and as the enormous wall of fire swept up to him, Danny wished that he had never let Jazz and Vlad coerce him into this.

The bell rang shortly thereafter, and Danny had never been more thankful for the end of the school day.

End Note: Thank you very much to: Nikky Phantom of the Opera, vanalivi, Pieling, Freaklvl27, dark-angel miyuki, Nonasuki-chan and Din Kelion (loved your reviews)! You guys make this writing thing worthwhile.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—Major slash hints begin to show, unfortunately Danny doesn't take hints well (coughSamcough). Also, I'm getting about 150 hits a chapter, yet only a few reviews (I love you guys!). I refuse to hold my fic hostage, so I guess the only answer is to keep posting chapters. Oh, and remember, I will be trying to surprise you, be on the lookout.

**Chapter, the Fourth**

**The Facts of Life**

Danny groaned as he collapsed on his bed like a loose sack of bones. Which, coincidentally, was how he felt. His backpack was carelessly dumped on the floor of his room, and he'd summoned the energy to kick off one of his shoes, but not the other. The exhausted boy didn't even look at his two friends, both of whom were standing in the doorway of his room, looking at him.

"Wow, what the hell did they do to you?" Sam asked, as she watched Danny groan in pain on the bed. The Goth girl walked in and made herself at home in Danny's desk chair. Tucker followed in behind her, finishing up something on his PDA before he put it away.

Danny mumbled something that Sam couldn't understand, as he was face down in his comforter. She looked at Tucker who shrugged.

"Dude, Danny, hello?" Tucker poked his prone friend, who tried to lift a hand to bat the offending poker away, but couldn't quite summon the energy.

"What is his deal?" Sam asked. Tucker shrugged again.

"I don't know, I'm going to grab some snacks," Tucker said, and took off downstairs. Since Tucker's last name could just as easily be Fenton as Foley, with the amount of time he spent at Danny's house, he felt no compunctions whatsoever about gathering up all the available junk food in the kitchen.

Sam stared concernedly at Danny, who wasn't aware of it because he was still face down in his bed.

"Hey, Danny, have some meat," Sam wrinkled her nose in disgust as Tucker showed up with arms full of chips, candy and what looked like a fresh Emergency Ham. Danny finally rolled over and Sam gasped. Danny's face looked like he'd spent all day in the sun with no shade, and he had a nasty looking bruise over his eye. It would fade in a couple hours because of his ghost powers, but it was still livid looking.

"Holy cow, man, what did you do today?" Tucker said as he dropped the food on Danny's bed. Danny weakly pulled the ham and some cheesy chips to him.

"I had to fight a bunch of seniors for a bouncy ball," he said and took a bite of the ham. Tucker and Sam exchanged confused glances.

"Right, well, how about we tell you about our day," Tucker suggested, and then crammed his mouth full of chips and looked expectantly at Sam.

"Oh, fine," she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. The two boys began to demolish the mound of food that Tucker had carried upstairs. "So, there's a new AV teacher who's totally creepy, Mrs. Baxter got pregnant and is on leave and her replacement is shacking up with our PE teacher, and I'm pretty sure that Lancer has discovered true happiness through knitting." Danny coughed at the last thing and Tucker snickered.

"Did anyone ask about me?" the ghost boy asked. Danny didn't really expect someone to have, but Sam turned a speculative look on him.

"Actually, a few people did," said Sam slowly. Danny raised an eyebrow at her tone as he finished the ham. He would have to replace it for his dad, at some point.

"Yeah, that was kinda weird, wasn't it?" Tucker said and exchanged a long look with Sam. Danny stuffed some chips in his mouth and watched his two friends.

"Hello? Guys? Are you going to tell me what was weird?"

"Well, there were actually a lot of people who asked where you were," Sam began. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but the people who were—most interested, I guess—were Paullina, Dash and Valerie."

"Wait, I understand Valerie, and even Paullina, but Dash?"

"Yeah, he wasn't acting like regular Dash either."

"What does that mean? Did he get smart over the summer, or something?"

"No, I mean, God, it was just really weird," said Sam, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Danny gave her a bemused look.

"Wow, Sam, you're terrible at telling stories. Tucker, what was up?"

Tucker brushed the fake cheese powder on his hand off on his jeans. "It's like Sam said, Dash was acting weird. He sounded, like, nervous or something. And he was really uncomfortable, he kept moving around. But he did ask if you were all right." Danny frowned, that did sound weird.

"Wonder what was up. But what did the girls say?" Danny asked excitedly, and Sam rolled her eyes.

"Tucker can tell you, I'm getting a class of water," Sam spat and she left the room. Danny gaped at the door she had left through.

"Dude, you're an idiot," Tucker said mildly. Danny looked warily at his best friend.

"What? What did I do?" Tucker sighed.

"Nothing, Danny, nothing. Anyways, Paullina and Valerie both asked about you. Valerie still digs you," Tucker said, grudgingly. Danny knew that his friends didn't think he should let himself be attracted to Valerie. "But, seriously, what did you do today?" Danny shifted around to be more comfortable while he kept snacking. His ghost powers always did take a toll on his body's energy stores, and gorging on carbohydrates and protein was the best way to replenish them quickly, according to Jazz.

"Oh man, it was so crazy. We have this thing called Power Practice and I had to fight with some seniors for a ball that bounced harder with each bounce it took! I haven't been thrashed like this since I fought Pariah Dark." Tucker let out a low whistle. The battle with the Ghost King had been one of the hardest fights Danny had ever engaged in. Going up against an almost omnipotent ghost can do that to a person.

"Dang, did you meet anyone cool?" Danny grinned widely as he remembered the kids he'd met that he liked. He really wanted his friend to meet Will and the guys.

"Well, yeah, I spent most of my day with this really cool guy, Will, and his friends. His parents are The Commander and Jetstream," Danny began. Sam came back in the room, and he told them all about his first day, including a description of all the crazy people he'd met. Both Sam and Tucker were, by turns, amused and alarmed.

"I still can't believe a school like that exists. It sounds completely ludicrous," Sam said after Danny finished a story about the Power Practice.

"What, like someone being half ghost?" Danny replied. Sam stuck her tongue out at Danny.

"Very funny. So—" Sam began, when a loud crash interrupted her. Danny's breath turned blue, and they all knew what that meant.

"GHOST!" yelled Jack Fenton. Danny groaned heavily.

"Hey, let's skip this one, your parents can handle it. Attack of the Killer Zombie Nuns just came out, and we should totally see it," Tucker suggested.

"Yeah, you're exhausted, let's do something fun instead," Sam said.

"Okay," Danny replied, and the three teens went downstairs. Danny's parents were in the living room, which was now covered in weaponry. Danny's eyes widened as he took in what looked like every single weapon in the Fenton family arsenal.

"Danny, kids, it's not safe to go out. There's a massively powerful ghost that just escaped the portal. It's tearing up downtown, so go back up to Danny's room, and stay there," Danny's mother said. Maddie Fenton was dressed to kill, literally. Danny had never seen her so covered in very, very dangerous looking weapons. His father had a new upgraded version of the Fenton Ghost Peeler, too. Tucker and Sam were gaping at the weapons along with Danny.

"That's right kids, and Danny, don't think I didn't notice the absence of my emergency ham." Danny grinned sheepishly, and Tucker whistled innocently.

"I was hungry, dad, sorry." Jack shrugged and looked at his wife, oddly serious for the usually large jovial man.

"It's okay, Danny, but your mother and I have a ghost to shred to pieces. To the Fenton Assault Vehicle, Maddie!" The two adults dashed out of the house. Danny turned glumly to his friends.

"I think this sounds like a job for Danny Phantom." Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"The movie doesn't start for another 45 minutes, if you hustle, Danny, we can still make it there," Tucker said as he consulted his PDA.

"All right, let's go," Danny said as he grabbed Tucker and Sam. Turning into Danny Phantom, he made them intangible and then carried them off to downtown. The trip went pretty fast, especially as Danny's top speed was fairly decent these days.

The Fenton Assault Vehicle got there first, of course. Danny's parents were somewhat…crazed in their driving habits, but no one could deny they always got to their destinations very, very quickly. It was just extremely dangerous to be in their way, whether you were an innocent bystander, or simply a tree growing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Earlier, it had been a clear, sunny day in Amity Park. The city was a fairly clean one, so there hadn't even been the brown tinge of smog in the sky. Now, Danny and his friends could see, the sky was still blue, just not around the area central to the city. There, great black clouds billowed in the air, obscuring the sun and casting a large shadow over the city.

"This looks big. I wish I could block out the sun like that, though," Sam commented. Her two friends gave her the sort of look that is reserved for the sort of people that declare the earth is flat and that they can hear dragons talking to them.

"Why are we friends with such a Goth, Danny?" Tucker asked sardonically. Sam glared at him.

"When we land, you're getting a dead arm." Tucker groaned, and Danny snickered. Tucker and Sam—they were everything to him. They anchored him. He felt the urge to tell them that, especially after he'd had such a hard day at Sky High, but being a teenage boy he simply swallowed his emotions. He dropped out of the air and slipped into invisibility. He noticed that downtown looked rather empty, and quiet.

"All right, guys, since this looks like a new ghost, and a powerful one, I want you two to hang back until I have him beaten up for the thermos, deal?" Tucker and Sam nodded.

"Just be careful, Danny, you were really tired earlier and your parents are in there. You could wait a bit, for them to trash the ghost a bit," Sam suggested to Danny. It was a good idea; his parents, although at times foolish, were incredible ghost hunters. He had no problem letting his father and mother trash the ghost a bit before he stepped in.

Danny landed on the ground with Tucker and Sam, looked around, and then released the invisibility and intangibility. Then the three began to run towards the epicenter of the ghost attack. As they drew closer, they realized that there were no people around. Cars sat in the road, empty, their doors open as if everyone had engaged in a giant, coordinated Chinese fire drill. Buildings were vacant and still lit. The city was more hushed than a graveyard, a complete stillness that made every step the three took echo like thunder.

Suddenly there was a horrendous boom, one that made each of them clutch their ears. And then, to Danny's surprise, Will Stronghold landed on the ground in front of him.

Will was wearing a costume that looked very similar to his parents, but it was quite a bit sleeker. The Commander had a lot more muscle mass than his son, and Will didn't need the same armor padding his mother did. It fit him very well, Danny thought.

"Will! Er—I mean…" Danny flushed and looked at Tucker and Sam anxiously. He hadn't meant to reveal Will's name, but he also didn't know Will's superhero name. Will just laughed, and Danny relaxed.

"It's okay, Danny," Will said, with a grin. Danny grinned back at his friend and then turned to Sam and Tucker. The other two were staring with wide eyes and open mouths at Will.

"Sam, Tucker, this is Will. Will, these are my two best friends, Tucker and Sam." Will shook their hands.

"Oh my god, I'm talking to a real, live superhero!" Tucker practically squealed, and Sam tried to hide her laughter behind one hand and a cough. Danny's grin vanished like it had never been there.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" the halfa asked indignantly. Tucker dismissed Danny with a wave of his hand.

"Nah, but I've known you for too long to be impressed by you. Every time you do something incredible, I just remember you're the same boy who used to eat sand with me in the playground at kindergarten," Tucker said. Will and Sam chuckled at Danny's red face.

"Some friends, you guys are—anyways, Will, there's a ghost wreaking havoc, so maybe we should stop telling funny little stories and go fight it, right?" Danny asked pointedly.

"Oh get your underwear out of a twist, Danny. You two superhero types go do what you do, Tucker and I will have the thermos ready for pickup," Sam waved her hand at the two boys. Will gestured for Danny to lead the way.

"Saw this on the TV, and—well, show me how to fight ghosts? I'd like to help," the brown haired boy asked. Danny smiled widely as he and Will lifted up off the ground.

"Sure thing, it's pretty simple, we just have to knock him around until we can trap him. Let's go," Danny shot forward and Will smirked. The boom the three teens had heard earlier had been from Will flying in the sky above Amity Park, and his breaking of the sound barrier. Danny realized this when his friend shot past him so fast he could only make out a primary colored blur. He hadn't realized Will was so fast, like 10 times faster than he was.

Will slowed down to Danny's speed and let the other boy catch up to him. As they flew between skyscrapers, following the sounds of destruction, Danny flew closer to Will to give him a bit of a ghost hunting talk. And to tell him that a couple of ghost hunters that would be there didn't really care which ghost they caught. Or destroyed. But they were good people, just misguided.

For some reason, Will hadn't seemed terribly surprised at that last bit, and if anything Danny had caught a sad look on his friend's face. His chest grew warm, that this person who had only known him for a day, who he liked a lot, would be so supportive on his behalf.

He didn't know that Will was worried for a very different reason, and that the brown haired boy was remembering his mother's warning about the son of Vlad Masters. Danny came to a halt and Will pulled up, sharply.

"Holy crap," Will said, his eyes wide with awe. Danny saw his parents and two men in white suits firing various energy weapons at what appeared to be a giant floating eye, with lots of eye stalks growing from it. Each eye seemed to be a different color, and as the two flying boys watched, various energy beams lanced out from their pupils.

"I've never seen something like that before," Danny said. Will looked at him for guidance.

"So what should we do?" he asked. A determined look settled on the white-haired boy's face, and Danny held up one fist.

"We hit it until it stops moving." Will nodded, and turned back to look at the floating eye.

"Hitting I can do," and he shot forward, streaking straight at the eye. There was a thunderous explosion and a flare of bright red light. Danny watched in dismay as Will shot back into the sky like a rocket, after bouncing off the shield the eye had. But the ghost seemed shaken to have been hit so hard, and the shield was broken for the moment.

Danny couldn't help but be a bit jealous that Will could hit so hard.

The Guys in White yelled something and they fired a dual handled gun at the eye. The thing shrieked and although Danny could not tell where its mouth was, the shriek was terrible. The scream split into his brain, like a jagged tower of glass, and hurt about as much as he could bear.

His father and mother, and the two Guys in White, couldn't bear it. They each collapsed, and when Danny could look again, he saw his mother, and father, lying on the ground. Blood pooled around their faces, both of them had bloodied their noses, and the Eye Ghost was moving towards their prone bodies.

Danny felt energy pooling in his hands before he began to consciously gather it. His anger was like fuel, not fire, but a tension that struck his entire body and made him feel as if he would burst. With a cry he slammed his hands together and fired a blast of ecto-energy at the eye. The blast slammed into the eye and it shrieked again, but this time Danny was ready. An ecto shield repelled the sound, and the Eye Ghost glowered at him. It floated up, towards him, but very slowly. Danny concentrated, and split his body into another Danny Phantom.

Danny flew towards the eye and began to hurl balls of energy at it. He had to draw the eye away from his parents, and then find out what it had done with all the people that were missing. The quiet was beyond eerie, at this point. The only sounds were energy explosions and the sound of Danny's breathing in his ears. He heard a distant rumbling, definitely the sound of Will excavating himself from whatever debris he'd crashed into.

As Danny fired another blast at the eye, it responded with a yellow beam from its main eye. Danny put up a shield, but the blast powered through it, shattering his shield and slamming into his body. He screamed as the feeling of a thousand hammers hitting his body overpowered him. Mercifully, it only lasted a second, as Will had reappeared and had just ripped one of the larger eyestalks off of the beast.

The clone of Danny that was moving his parents saw several people reappear on the street after Will had ripped the eye stalk off. It made no sense, but the two must have been related.

"Tear off the eye stalks!" the clone shouted at Danny and Will. The two exchanged glances and both moved to rip the beast apart. The Ghost Eye, however, had other ideas, and went intangible. Will dodged an a beam as Danny began to gather ecto-energy to blast the thing back into the realm of solid matter. But then the eye opened all of its eyes, and each one fired a brilliant beam of light. The beams hit Will and both Danny's forcing out screams of pain from all three. The light touched everyone who had escaped after the eyestalk was torn off, including Danny's parents and the government ghost hunters. All of them vanished, except Danny and Will, and Danny's clone faded into nothingness. The eye grabbed the two boys with a blue energy beam and held them in front of its huge main eye. Several new eyestalks were beginning to emerge from the skin around the eye.

It was then that Danny was close enough to see where the mouth was. In the center of the great black pupil of the main eye, there was a small face. It spoke, and its voice was like a thousand maggots crawling over a corpse.

"Who are you?" Danny almost vomited at the sound of the voice; Will turned green and sick looking.

"I am Danny Phantom, and you just made a big," Danny took a deep breath, "MISTAKE!" Danny let loose with his ghostly wail, his voice becoming a vehicle for pure ecto-energy. But the eye's huge pupil swelled and Danny's wail disappeared into it like a pebble being dropped into oil-slicked water.

"No," the eye said and the pupil began to radiate darkness. Danny felt his power seeping out of his body, becoming tired and cold, so tired and cold. His body ached, the weight of existing was suddenly too much, and everything was all so very heavy…

Will groaned and Danny looked at his brand new friend. The mousy-haired boy appeared on the verge of death, and Danny struggled against the darkness. The Eye Ghost glared, concentrating its full power on the two boys. Danny fought it, but the dark was so cold and heavy, so powerful—Danny almost cried; he couldn't let this happen. He had to beat this ghost, if he didn't, then who could? He had to save Will and then his parents, but he was failing and falling into darkness.

Suddenly the weight lifted, the darkness evaporated and the Eye Ghost shrieked again. But this time there was no pain from the shriek, and brilliant violet light permeated the area. The dark clouds overhead began to part, sunlight struck the ghost and it tried to shy away. The air in front of Danny shimmered, and there, suddenly, was floating a person he had really not expected to see.

Vlad was in his Vlad Phantom disguise, his vampire clothing was now completely white, making him seem to glow, especially since his skin was now a healthy color rather than sickly green. His hair looked like white fire on his scalp, while his neat goatee added to the blinding white that seemed to surround Vlad. He radiated power in a way that Danny didn't usually see.

If Danny didn't know the sort of person Vlad really was, he would have thought the older halfa looked angelic. But that was seriously wrong, on at least four different levels, in Danny's mind. Vlad plucked Will out of the air as the boy drooped and began to fall towards the ground.

"Grab your friend, little Badger, Daddy's got this one," Vlad said in his smooth baritone. Danny frowned at his fake father, but took the unconscious Will from Vlad's arms nonetheless.

"It's some sort of—" Danny began but Vlad cut him off with a hand.

"I know what it is, Daniel, it's a Beholder." Danny felt his confusion become evident on his face. "How many people has it absorbed?"

"A lot, and it's—it's got my par—the Fentons," Danny said, glancing at the unconscious Will as he corrected himself. Vlad whirled around and grabbed Danny by his shoulders.

"It has Maddie?" Danny nodded as Vlad shook him, roughly, and then he had an epiphany.

Vlad was a crazed up fruit loop, but he really did just want to make Danny his son and Maddie his wife. He wasn't truly cruel and heartless (well maybe heartless, and more than a little cruel). The point was: Vlad wasn't truly evil. Because if he was, than the face he showed Danny at that moment was one Danny would have seen before. It was a face that scared Danny a little bit, not the least because Vlad had lost control of his new disguise and reverted to his Plasmius form. His face had twisted into a mask of pure rage and hate, a mask that promised pain. The air around them crackled with an intent filled with destructive anger that Danny had only felt once before, when his evil future self, Dan Phantom, had fought him and tried to kill his family.

With a flare of violet energy Vlad spun around and flew to the dazed Beholder. The ghost fired at Vlad, but he split his body up wherever a beam should have struck it. He hit the ghost, and went intangible, disappearing inside of it. The eye began to shudder, and then exploded in a flurry of ectoplasmic goo. In the center of where the eye had floated, Vlad Plasmuis stood, wreathed in purple flames so bright, they burned Danny's eyes.

Then Vlad recovered his aplomb, with a speed that was down right unnatural. He reverted to his costume, just in time, as Will was waking up, and all of the people the ghost had consumed popped back into existence. Danny saw his parents, groaning on the ground, and let loose a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Dude, what—is that your dad?" Will asked groggily. Vlad smiled tenderly at Will, but it was the sort of tenderness that a wolf gives a lamb, which it has deigned to take care of, until it grows hungry. Then, it's bye-bye lamb. Danny found himself holding Will a little tighter, and trying to shield him from Vlad.

"Yes, my dear boy, I am Daniel's father. Now, how about we go see to your injuries?" Danny shook as he realized that Will and he were both covered in cuts and bruises. Danny noticed Will was glaring across his body at his feet, but weakly. He was still too exhausted to move from Danny's arms, or to display much emotion aside from exhaustion.

"Stupid invulnerability," the boy muttered. Danny gave a tired grin and Vlad laughed, surprising both boys.

"Indeed, now, I suppose your little friends are here, too, Daniel? Unusual not to see them in the thick of the action, ready to become a distraction at a moment's notice." Danny glared at Vlad who winked at him. The older halfa might not be truly evil, but he was still an utter bastard.

"Tucker and Sam are—" Danny began when the two aforementioned kids ran out onto the street, below the floating halfas. The two teens slowed to a walk as they took in the destruction around them.

"I guess we don't need the thermos," Tucker said as he took in the remains of the Beholder.

"Danny, are you and Will okay?" Sam yelled as Danny floated down with Will and Vlad. Vlad landed lightly on the ground while Danny tried to readjust a still, only semi-conscious Will, in his arms.

"They're both exhausted, and they've sustained some minor injuries. I suggest we all adjourn to my castle for some rest." Sam and Tucker shot Danny worried glances but Danny just nodded, wearily. If Vlad wanted to play the family card, he had to play along while Will was there. The exchange went over Will's head, of course.

"I think I'm good to stand," Will said and Danny eased him out of his arms. Will winced as he tried to stand and Danny let him lean heavily on him.

"All right, but we're coming too," Sam said, glaring at Vlad. Vlad smiled disarmingly.

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you two behind to get killed by some other ghost just to amuse myself," he said, and then laughed to show it was all clearly a joke. Will looked bemused but turned to look curiously at Danny when the younger halfa tensed up. Danny relaxed as he realized Will had noticed he wasn't responding to his father's joke as he should.

"Very funny, dad," Danny grumbled, and tacked on the 'dad" to keep up appearance's sake. Vlad clapped Danny lightly on the shoulder and then wiped the grime on his hand off on Danny's back. Vlad ignored the glare Danny sent at him and turned his attention to various people around them that were moaning as they woke up.

"Well, shall we go before everyone wakes up?" Tucker frowned.

"I really wanted to see Attack of the Killer Zombie Nuns," he said as he kicked a piece of rubble. Vlad looked at Tucker with surprise.

"Really? I have an advance copy of it I was planning to watch," the billionaire said. Tucker looked at Vlad and the two suddenly grinned. It was, Danny thought, the first time he had seen Vlad look… genuinely happy.

"Do you have Revenge of the Werewolf Volleyball Squad?" Tucker asked and Vlad smiled.

"Of course, I even have the original version of Night of the Japanese Schoolgirl Monster," the older man said this very casually. Danny looked at Sam who mouthed to him: 'I have no idea.' But for Tucker, this was very big news.

"OH MY GOD! That is so awesome, can I watch it?" Vlad clapped the boy on the back, just like he had Danny. Danny wondered if that was Vlad's chosen "fatherly" action, for all occasions.

"Of course my dear boy, any friend of Danny's is welcome to enjoy our house and everything within it. Now, let's be going, you must all be very tired." And then Vlad raised his hands, and gray mist surrounded them. Danny couldn't see his hand in front of his face, and then everything seemed to melt away from him, and run like wax. He really needed to learn how to teleport like this, but right now he was too tired to try and find out anything that Vlad was doing. The only thing he could sense was Will. There was no smell, no sound and nothing but gray to see. But he could feel Will, leaning on him and full of warmth.

Danny wondered if he should really be noticing all of this, and feeling very comfortable on top of it.

Then the gray mist cleared, and they were standing in a large stone room covered with Packers memorabilia. The flagstones were warm, which Danny thought was odd as he remembered the place being much colder last time he was there.

"I do love this ambient floor heating," Vlad commented, and let his disguise flow off to reveal his customary tuxedo. Danny let his own Phantom outfit flow away from his body. Poor Will was stuck in his costume, still leaning heavily on Danny.

"The movie vault is on the second floor, behind the largest door. You can go set up a movie while I prepare the infirmary. Now, would you care to accompany me, dear girl?" Vlad asked Sam, as Tucker took off for the movie vault. Sam cast a quick glance at Danny, who nodded. Vlad smiled at Danny while he lead Sam off.

"Daniel, why don't you help Will out of his costume and then we'll patch you two up," Vlad said as walked away. Danny looked at Will who was still trying to stand on his own, without a great deal of success.

"I think this will work better if I carry you." Will flushed and stared at his feet. Danny frowned. "Don't be embarrassed, dude, you're hurt, I can carry you."

"It's not—I mean," Will began awkwardly and Danny shushed him by putting a finger in front of his face, very close to his lips. Too close, so he drew the offending finger back quickly.

"You helped me a lot today, at school, just let me return the favor," Danny said, wondering why Will was blushing even more now. He had to focus; it wouldn't do well for his cover to look like he couldn't find his own bedroom. If he remembered correctly, the suite he'd stayed in on his last visit was just above them. He hefted Will into his arms and floated up, barely noticing Will's arms tentatively encircling Danny's neck.

* * *

Will had a lot on his mind. For one thing, that eye monster had really done a number on him. He couldn't wait to become as invulnerable as his father, but maybe ghost energy was a weak point of his invulnerability. In any event, Will was once again in pain, not something he was used to a great deal. And he was exhausted, in a billionaire's castle that looked freaking incredible, and most importantly, clinging to another boy because he wasn't able to walk. 

Each of those facts was giving him some measure of discomfort. The last was doing so the most, because Will was really, really enjoying the feeling of someone taking care of him. Will was used to being a defender, the person who took hits, so others didn't have to. He loved it, being a protector of those weaker than himself; he was born for the job. The feeling of being held, though, and feeling totally safe, was a really nice one. He got it whenever his parents were around, but this was the first time he'd gotten it from a friend.

Danny floated with him up through the ceiling into a long hall. They flew through a few walls, before they reached Danny's room. Will's first impression was that Danny was remarkably frugal, for someone whose father could spoil him beyond rotten. Then he noticed that the room didn't seem very… lived in.

"This is your room?" he asked, curiously, and felt Danny tense, before relaxing a bit. Will hoped he hadn't made Danny upset somehow.

"I'm living with some family friends while Dad is in the Ghost Zone," Danny explained. "The Fentons are actually two of the ghost hunters we saw battling that freaky eyeball." Danny gently laid Will down on his large bed and looked at him speculatively.

"Now, how do we get this off?" Will scolded the part of his brain that lived in the gutter for making that seem really funny. Danny must have noticed something of his internal battle on his face, because the other boy broke into a grin.

"I don't normally let boys get this far on a first date," Will teased and Danny laughed. When Danny laughed, he used his whole body to do it, clutching his torso and bending slightly at the waist, closing his eyes while his mouth spilled laughter. It was like he couldn't hold in his happiness, and Will was feeling like he had when he'd first met Gwen Grayson—He angrily squashed that line of thought.

"It's okay, Will, I don't think you're a slut, I am rather sexy," Danny said cockily. He leaned in towards Will put a single finger in the hollow of Will's throat, stroking down the curve of the skin slightly. Will bit his lip.

"Have to take the belt off, first," Will breathed and he fumbled for the catch on it. Only his hands were shaking and he couldn't quite manage it.

"Here, man, lemme do it," Danny said and batted Will's hands away. Will was at that moment extremely thankful for his cup, and cursing the additional pain that came from feeling decidedly cramped in that same protective cup.

Danny frowned as he tried to get the catch, but it was really made to be undone from a different angle. Will tried not to enjoy Danny's fumbling, but the way the other boy bit his tongue, the pink tip showing between his lips, and his hands that seemed to be everywhere but where Will wanted them… Will was beginning to panic, his adrenaline rush from the battle was beginning to come back, and it had nothing to do with fighting this time.

_Oh god, I'm not gay, this is not happening, I really do not want to push Danny down on this bed and—holy crap, I think I'm a bit gay._ Will was really starting to panic now; personal revelations about sexuality can do that to a person. Danny finally scowled at the belt.

"Screw this," he said and suddenly he was plunging his translucent hands through the suit and then Will was moving back and—"Oops, my bad dude—" Danny stopped talking very quickly and stared.

In the space of a second, Will realized several things. The first was that he was naked, the second was that Danny had phased him out of his costume, the third was Danny was staring at his naked body, and the fourth was that he was sporting… well, the excitement of having Danny's hands all over his crotch hadn't dissipated yet.

Only, now Danny was grinning at him, with the look of mischief that only teenage boys can really manage.

"Dude, you look more than a little happy to see me, pervert. Oh don't get so embarrassed, fighting evil gives people wood, man, it's natural," Danny said conspiratorially. Will was flushing so much he wondered how his body was supplying blood to his head and to his—well, other head—at the same time. Danny had grabbed some clothes out of a dresser and was now handing them to Will, who promptly tried to cover himself up.

"Bathroom's right over there, if you want to shower up and, you know, relieve some tension," Danny tossed him another grin and gave a pointed look at Will's crotch, "you're more than welcome to." The grin had now become a leer and Will did not think it was hot, it just that his body hated him. _And really likes Danny, damn it._

"I'll just give you some privacy," Danny continued as the ghost boy turned his back and began to strip out of his dirty, sweaty school clothes. Will backed up to the bathroom door and then turned around to dash through it, but not before getting a glimpse of Danny's slender back that led down into a perfect bubble butt.

Will cursed his hormones and wished that this phase he was going through would finish. It had already almost ruined his friendship with Layla, and it just wasn't fair that his body would betray him like this. First h hadn't developed his powers right away, and now he was getting turned on to boys. It just was not fair. Will dimly remembered something he'd said to Layla at the start of their freshman year.

_"If life was going to get fair, it wouldn't happen in high school."_ He hated how right he'd been.

In the shower all he could think about was Danny, Danny's face, his body, and the feeling of being safe. Will didn't often feel sick, and now he felt nauseated beyond all belief. When he found release, he only felt worse.

* * *

Danny had never imagined, could never have imagined, that one day he would be relaxing in Vlad's private movie theater, watching a zombie movie marathon with his two best friends, and his brand new friend who just happened to be the son of the two most famous superheroes on the planet.

"More popcorn!" Vlad exclaimed as he reappeared in the theater with several buckets. Tucker and Will smiled widely as they took the popcorn. Sam shot Danny another bemused look.

It wasn't that Vlad was just being nice, because Vlad could be nice, and still be perfectly evil. Vlad was being friendly, and that was profoundly disturbing to Danny. Almost as disturbing as how much Tucker and Will were getting along with Vlad.

Danny accepted the bowl of popcorn from Vlad, as the older halfa sat next to him. The seats were incredibly comfortable, Danny had noticed, and he was feeling relaxed and at ease for the first time in a while. The fact that he was feeling that way in his arch nemesis' castle was still disturbing, but Danny had decided not to let it get in his way.

"Thanks, Mr. Masters," Will said from the other side of Danny. Tucker, who was sitting on the other side of Vlad, offered Sam some popcorn.

"Please, call me Vlad, young man. Now, let's get this movie started," Danny shot a sidelong glance at his fake father. Vlad just had to be charming, didn't he? It was bad enough that Vlad was controlling so much of his life, now he was charming his friends. Even ones that should totally know better, like Tucker.

He noticed Vlad was watching him with a small smile, and Danny was startled at the simple sincerity in it. Vlad wasn't just being friendly to charm his friends, the man seemed genuinely happy. Danny didn't understand it, but the happiness on the man's face made Danny smile back, albeit timidly. Vlad turned his attention back to the movie, and Danny caught Sam staring at him.

He shrugged at her, but she gave him a look that said she wanted to talk, and now. Danny shrugged again, helplessly and Will nudged him in the side for his troubles. He turned to look at Will, whom was giving him a questioning look.

"What's up?" Will whispered and Danny leaned over to the other boy.

"Nothing, I have to go to the bathroom," Danny whispered into Will's ear, and the brown haired boy shivered. Danny ignored it, got up and ducked out of the room. Sam followed behind him a moment later.

"So, what's up?" Danny asked and Sam frowned at him.

"That's what I'm asking you. What is the deal with Vlad? He's acting like… like a normal person." Danny sighed.

"I don't know, but he seems genuinely happy, like he's got something he wanted. I hope he isn't going to pull something," Danny said.

"Well, I don't think he will. I mean, you said he's acting like he got something he really wanted, and hasn't he? He's always wanted you to be his son, and you're acting like it."

"What? I can still barely stand him!"

"Danny please, you've been calling him dad and letting him help you. And having us over here… I think he's actually enjoying the role of father, and spending time with us."

"Sam, that's crazy. I mean, this is Plasmius we're talking about, how can he be enjoying pretending to be my father?"

"Well, Vlad is in love with your mother, but he's also very alone. I don't think he's had people in his life like this for a long time." Danny paused to consider that. To be that alone, that you would turn to scheming and villainy to gain people back in your life. He couldn't really imagine it, and for the first time he felt pity for Vlad Masters.

"I think, that this could be really good for him, Danny. You can teach him that there's more to life than just crime and selfishness," Sam said, holding her chin speculatively.

Danny sighed. There was more to being a hero than just fighting ghosts. He had a chance here to turn Vlad to the side of good. He knew Vlad had that potential, from his trip to the future where Vlad was the only person to oppose his evil future self. He had to take it, even if he really didn't care for the man.

"You're right, this is a great opportunity." Sam smirked.

"Of course I'm right. Now, uh, I guess there's no way to put this but bluntly. What's the deal with Will?" Danny frowned at his friend.

"What do you mean?" Sam gaped at Danny and then shut her mouth.

"Nothing, I guess. If you haven't noticed anything," she trailed off as Danny continued to look at her like she was crazy. "Okay, forget I said anything. Let's go back inside." Danny nodded and turned to go back inside. He missed the look Sam shot his back, which was just as well, because he would have asked why she looked so incredulous.

End Note: Thank you very much to: Pieling, Sasia93, Vanalivi, Freaklvl27, Danny Phantom Phanatic (lol your review suggested exactly what I'd already written) and Nonasuki-Chan. A big thank you to Din Kelion for being an exemplary reviewer.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—We've finally moved past the first day! Yea! Just to put this out there, this story is told in 3rd person POV, not omniscient, so each character views people differently. Remember that before you decide who is friend or foe, or whether what a person is saying is true…

Chapter, The Fifth

Danny's next few days were full: full of schoolwork, superhero training, and getting to know his new friends. For instance: Zach, he had discovered, was attached to Magenta (as in, they were going out). It seemed really odd to him that Zach, who was loud, goofy, and tried really hard to be cool (as in, too hard to ever be cool) would be going out with a girl who was at least as Goth as Sam was.

Zach's power, apparently, was that he glowed. Danny had to admit that he'd snickered a bit when he'd learned that; mostly because Zach insisted on his power being unbearably cool, and frankly, in Danny's opinion, glowing was pretty lame.

Actually, speaking of lame, there seemed to be quite a few kids at Sky High who had—well—really lame powers. And Will's group of friends had more than a few of those. Aside from Zach, there was Magenta, who could turn into a Guinea Pig. Danny found this very amusing, because the cute little rodent was rather at odds with the acerbic Goth girl's persona. Just another reminder that the power didn't choose the person, or that there was any choice involved in the matter.

Ethan's power was a bit less useless than Zach and Magenta's, at least. He turned to liquid. Admittedly, Danny hadn't been very impressed by the power at first, until Ethan had shown him how it could be used. If one didn't have access to, say, Danny's powers, than becoming a puddle was an excellent way to infiltrate just about any super villain base.

They were, although Will and Layla forbid the word, sidekicks. Pure sidekick material, and even then, Zach wasn't very good at it. At least Ethan was a veritable encyclopedia of information, and Magenta was just the kind of person who took no flack from anyone. A few of the school's bullies used to pick on kids like them, until Will came along, from what Danny had gathered.

Will Stronghold was a big deal around Sky High campus. Not only for his parents, but because he'd saved the school freshman year. Danny had tried to find out what had gone on that year, but most everyone was fairly closed-lipped about the matter. Every time Danny had pressed the matter with someone, they'd refer him to Will, whom Danny could feel really didn't want to talk about it. The closest he'd come to finding out what had happened was when he spoke with Layla.

Layla Williams was something of an enigma. She was an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, like Sam, so Danny knew how to deal with that. She also was a redhead, but one who seemed rather more tranquil than most redheads Danny knew. Like Will, Layla had hero-level powers, specifically the ability to control any living plant within eyesight. Danny had seen her more than once sitting in a tree at school, calmly reading while she ate an apple that she'd tricked the tree into making.

The only one of Will's friends who Danny could not, and would not, get along with, was Warren Peace. First of all, the name was hilarious, and Danny could only imagine the ways that someone like Dash could mock the other boy (if Dash had read enough to have even heard of War and Peace, which Danny considered very unlikely). But really, it was the dark haired pyrokinetic's attitude that pissed him off. Oh yeah, Warren Peace was an extremely powerful human flamethrower, with more than a bit of invulnerability thrown into the mix. The kid was, frankly, an ass, and Danny did not understand why Will and his friends put up with him.

Sam had asked if there was a reason why the kid acted the way he did. Danny said it didn't matter, and Sam had then casually torn him a new one. After all, she acted like a (Danny was not ready to call Sam something that rhymed with 'witch) jerk to lots of people, all because of her parents. Danny privately felt this situation was different, but it was typical of Sam to empathize with someone who wore only black. Sure enough, Danny had found out why Warren walked around Sky High the way he did, and why everyone did their damn best to jump out of his way when he came towards them.

Warren's father was a super villain. But not just any super villain, Warren's father was Barron Battle, and from what Danny knew of the villain he was the real deal. Barron Battle had been a man who embodied the essence of destruction. Apparently, Battle could cause the natural kinetic energy lying in any given inanimate, or animate, object, and blow them up. Or turn them into living bombs charged with his powers. In short, Barron Battle was havoc incarnate, and according to what Danny heard, the battle to take him out had nearly wiped out a small European nation. If it hadn't been for Jetstream and The Commander, it would have very easily.

That last fact was why it all came together. Danny hadn't been old enough to see the fight between Barron Battle, and The Commander and Jetstream. But the fact that Warren's father had been arrested and imprisoned by Will's parents explained a bit about the relationship.

So when Warren finally condescended to eat lunch with the gang, Danny wasn't sure how things were going to turn out. He decided to try his best to be civil, but he wasn't going to take any jerk moves from the other boy. Danny was free to use his powers as much as he wanted at Sky High, and he was not going to be put down like he was at Casper High.

"Hey, Warren, how was China?" Layla took it upon herself to break the ice, as Will's head was anxiously twisting between Danny and Warren. The dark haired boy shrugged and began eating. Danny bent his head over his food and began steadily eating as well. Layla turned her efforts to Zach, who was currently ranting about how his father refused to let his super-name be "Zach Attack."

Danny couldn't help but feel like a character in a TV show. The air was humming with tension that everyone was trying to defuse. Excepting, of course, the two people who were the source of it. Danny could practically feel Will's mental gears whirring, while he and Warren calmly ate. The rest of the cafeteria was a blur of voices and smells, and it seemed like the gang existed in a bubble outside of the hustle and bustle.

"So, Masters, I heard you and Stronghold went after some ghost," Warren said as he stabbed his fork into his pasta.

"Yeah, we did." Danny kept eating as he talked, casually avoiding the other boy's eyes.

"Heard your dad had to come in and clean up." Danny almost choked. Vlad was not his father, and he did not need the man's help for anything! He could feel his cheeks getting warm, angry.

"He is—I mean, yes, we did need some help, nothing that I couldn't have handled." Warren's face somehow grew even more un-amused, but Danny didn't care. This kid was overstepping his boundaries, and Danny didn't have to put up with it if he didn't want. Not at this school.

"Hey, guys, no need to fight or anything—" Will tried to interject, but Warren leaned forward sharply and stared directly, challengingly, at Danny's blue eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Danny felt his last bit of self-control dance out the window, laughing mockingly at him.

"Who the hell do I think I am? I'm Danny fucking Phantom. Who the hell are you?" Danny snapped and transformed into his ghostly half. Warren sneered at him.

"Someone concerned that 'Danny Phantom' means: 'careless idiot who puts people in danger.' What's it to you?" Danny's eyes were practically on fire with anger.

"Warren, Danny, please guys—" Will was pleading with both of them, and even Layla was beginning to look distressed. Zach and Ethan had stopped talking to watch the argument with shocked anticipation of a greater eruption.

"Let them go, Will. I want to see who gets to be your new boyfriend," Magenta said, which brought both Warren and Danny up short. "There, problem solved."

Zach and Ethan snickered at the dumbfounded expressions that Danny and Warren were currently sporting. Warren turned red and practically snarled as he stood up from the table. He stalked away, his back tense with anger as he took each step. Danny snorted and resumed eating, not noticing that Will had gripped the table so hard that he had ground the material to a fine dust in his fists. Danny did notice Layla laying a soothing hand on the boy sitting next to him, and he looked anxiously at Will's face. When Will got really angry, he had a tendency to clam up and get a strained look on his face. It was the sort of strain that comes from keeping very powerful emotions under control, and Will wasn't quite managing it.

"Hey, Will, I'm sorry—" Danny started but Will just stood up sharply from the table and glared at Danny.

"Thanks, Danny," Will responded, dripping sarcasm from his mouth like acid. Danny flinched visibly and for a second Will's emotions went to war on his face, and then there was nothing. The Stronghold boy stood up, and slinging his backpack on his shoulder he turned to walk away.

"Tell Boomer I felt sick, I'm going home," Will said and began to make his way out of the cafeteria, through the throng of super-powered teenagers. Danny stood to say something but was pinned by a look from Layla.

"Just don't, Danny. He's in a mood," she said.

"Is that what you call it? I call it PMS," Magenta quipped as she went back to her salad.

"Very funny, Magenta, but you know you shouldn't have said that." For a moment, a look of actual contrition crossed the Goth girl's face. Danny was too busy moping to notice.

"But, it was my fault, I should apologize," the ghost boy groaned.

"That's a load of bull, it was my fault. Will just took it out on you." Magenta patted his arm comfortingly.

"That doesn't make it much better," Danny said glumly, playing with the lettuce in his sandwich.

* * *

Vlad Masters was tired. He would never have admitted it to anyone, but he was fairly certain he didn't have the energy to even summon some ecto-octopi. Not that he needed to hide it, because if anyone could see through deception, it was the ghost known as Clockwork. 

Clockwork's castle was an interesting place. Due to the nature of ectoplasm, and Clockwork's very nature of being the ghost of time, the castle was temporally displaced. It was only accessible from the Ghost Zone, yet it was also present in all worlds, in all times. Vlad wanted the secret to such an effect, because with it he would have access to, well, everything, ever. Including the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage, which the damn Observants had snatched up in the aftermath of the battle with Pariah Dark.

Vlad hated the Observants, perhaps the only thing he had in common with Clockwork. Although, to say that Clockwork felt hate was a mistake. The gourmand does not hate the steak, after all.

"Your campaign goes well, Vlad Plasmius," the slight lisping voice of Clockwork always sounded the same, no matter how young or old he looked. The ghost was perfectly in-tune with his temporal surroundings, letting his personal age alter along with the ebb and flow of time itself around his castle. Vlad found it interesting that Clockwork's scar stayed the same no matter what age he was.

"As well as can be," the halfa muttered. Clockwork's smile was the sort that belonged to someone who knew far more than the people (or rather, ghosts) around him.

"Indeed, but your efforts to recruit an army seem to be progressing rather nicely." Vlad sneered.

"Children, the only one of whom is worthwhile is Daniel. I'm almost tempted to simply destroy his family and claim him for myself." Clockwork raised an eyebrow and titled his head to the side. Vlad looked at him curiously, it wasn't often that Clockwork debated a course of action. The threat was, after all, hardly a new one.

"I have a thing, that I would show you," the ghost of time finally said, and waved his hand. A small, wooden table appeared on the flagstones before Vlad. The halfa raised one elegant eyebrow. On the table was a Fenton thermos, but one that was shuddering, and had been—well it looked as if whatever was trapped inside had actually attempted to fight its way out, and had nearly won. The second Vlad picked up the thermos it began to shake violently in his hands, so much so that he could not hold onto it. It fell to the floor, clanging loudly against the flagstones. Clockwork waved his hand and it returned to the table.

"Roasted Chestnuts, what do you have in here?" Clockwork stared meditatively at Vlad.

"There was a timeline, one wherein young Daniel Fenton lost his family in a tragic grease explosion. He went to live with you, Vlad Masters, for you were the only one who could understand him." Vlad looked like the cat who found the baby mice den.

"Interesting, and a good idea, but what does it have to do with the ghost trapped in here?" Vlad asked impatiently.

"Because, when Daniel came to live with you, his pain was such that he sought a way to remove it, and you aided him. In doing so, you freed his ghost half, and full of pain and anger as it was, the Phantom attacked you, and tore Plasmius out from inside of you. The two merged and became a ghost of such power, and evil, that he still exists, even now that his timeline is consigned to the great darkness." Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"So his timeline is not destroyed?"

"It was, but it is not. You should know by now, Vlad Plasmius, that nothing is ever truly destroyed." Vlad shrugged.

"Philosophical semantics, I deal in practical realities. So this ghost is the supreme vessel, a combination of Daniel's powers and mine. Evil, you say?"

"Yes, he kills at will, and he is powerful enough to resist all conventional methods of control." Clockwork handed the cylinder to Vlad, and Vlad couldn't help but notice that he was still smiling. It unnerved the halfa, how Clockwork looked like he knew so very much, so that his eyes looked completely through deceit and straight to intent.

"I'll keep that in mind," Vlad said as he took the cylinder.

"He is the ultimate weapon, if you can control him. The Shadow will seek him, hide him well, or use him at your own peril." Vlad snorted.

"I like to think I can match a mere stripling, no matter how powerful. I did take down Pariah Dark, Clockwork." The ghost of time continued to smile enigmatically.

"Yes, you did. But no two ghosts are the same, and this one is an entirely new breed. He is two halves made whole and one, and he is more in touch with darkness than you will ever be, Vlad Plasmius. Whether you make that a blessing, or your curse, has yet to be determined.

"Whether… I thought you saw all times, all possibilities?" Vlad was a true predator, pouncing on every weakness that came his way, especially if it meant ignoring his own.

"You know that I do, but not all of them become real."

"All possibilities are real, you said so yourself."

"That they are, and therefore to some extent, accessible. The possibility of their existence has a great power, it's where this Ghost Zone comes from."

"Really? Now that does raise some possibilities." Vlad laughed at his little joke. "You're not usually so open, Clockwork, what brings this on? Trying to sway your new king?" Clockwork's smile vanished.

"I learned long ago that kings are not to be trusted, I'm just making sure that if I have to move against you, I did all I could to educate you." Vlad scowled.

"Still holding out for young Daniel to wear the Crown and the Ring?"

"I hold out for nothing, Plasmius. I know the when and the where of all things."

"Not quite all things," Vlad said quietly, voice full of menace, and sly pleasure. Clockwork's smile returned

"Yes, not quite all things. This time is exciting, it is one thing to know, another to be. Go, Vlad Plasmius, go and safeguard your undoing, or salvation, I cannot see which."

Vlad inclined his head to Clockwork, doling out a token of respect. The vampiric halfa then swirled into nothingness.

Clockwork allowed his smile to fade, and stared thoughtfully at the air before him. He did not lie, as a rule, but neither was what he said true. Manipulating such a being as Plasmius was dangerous on several levels, but Clockwork was reasonably assured the half ghost would follow his typical _modus_ _operandi_. Behind him, the shadows swung like dark cloth curtains.

"All of the pieces are in play, then?" Clockwork said aloud, and out of the shadows behind him floated another ghost. This ghost was a woman, but also a fierce looking warrior, wearing a loose robe over slim armor. Her muscular body resonated with savage intent as she practically stalked into the room. Yet, there was all around her a great sense of age, like a stone that has worn a long journey through time and all the enemies that time brings.

"Yes, they are. It remains to be seen if they will be enough," the female ghost replied. Clockwork turned his stare to the ghost, and allowed for a second his mask to drop. There was a flash of something that was not darkness, which is the absence of light, but rather, pure black light that swallowed the room. Then the room was lit again, and Clockwork was looking pensive.

"No, whether they'll be able to defeat the Shadow isn't the problem at all." The female ghost snorted. She drew up her cloak and brought the cowl over her head.

"We caged a king once, we can do so again." Clockwork scowled as the female ghost swirled away much as Vlad had.

"This king, I think, will not, and can not, be caged. Not by them, powerful as they are. But, perhaps…" Clockwork stared at seemingly nothing but the castle wall. "Though I cannot see the strands, I can always move them." The ghost of time closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the flow of time. The Shadow was there, even in the time stream. Clockwork knew he had made the right—no—the only decision to be made.

But for the first time in a very, very long time, he was worried. The Shadow was a threat outside of time, and he was no longer remembering the future. It all boded ill.

* * *

Will had almost made it to the edge of the platform for Sky High when he heard someone shout his name. It was a girl's voice, but to his surprise it wasn't Layla, but Magenta. The Goth girl did not run (he had been told by her that running for Goths required fearing for one's life) but moved with the peculiar gate of someone who is hurrying, and trying not to show it. It made for an interesting tableau, Will poised to leap off the edge of a giant floating bowl and being stopped by a—well—Goth. He supposed it would be more appropriate if she had more angst. 

"Hey, Magenta, what's up?" Will asked, politely. He sometimes dearly wished he could be more of a jackass, but he only seemed to manage it when he wasn't paying attention to his actions. Or maybe that was the definition of a jackass, or a sort of jackass. There had to be more than one kind, after all. Magenta's arrival stopped his meandering train of thought.

"Hey, I wanted to say sorry for that gay crack back there," the girl said. Will sighed and stared over the edge at the clouds below them.

"Oh, really?"

"Listen, Will, I'm not good at this kind of thing." Will waited for more, but nothing was forthcoming.

"It's all right," he finally said, as the silence drew on longer.

"You know, you might consider the possibility that Warren really does like you." Will blinked, where had that come from?

"He's my best friend, why wouldn't he like me?" Will asked, and when Magenta rolled her eyes with a great deal of emphasis he colored up.

"The train finally pulls into the station, yay," the Goth girl said emotionlessly. "Seriously, Will, Warren is like, a huge ass queen. He doesn't like Danny because Danny is competing for your attention, and the only reason he reacted like this was because he has a crush on you." Will felt like the bottom of the world had just dropped out from under him. Warren had a crush on him? Warren didn't get crushes, ever.

"Anyways, I'm sorry, but you have got to get those boys to sit calmly together or something, because I don't want to deal with 'clash of the testosterone pricks' every single lunch," Magenta said, patting Will kindly on the shoulder, and then walking away. Will stood at the edge of the platform, his mouth open and his eyes wide.

"Crap," the boy groaned and let himself fall back, off of the platform. For a few seconds he just let himself fall, his thoughts racing. _How can Warren have a crush, on me? I mean, Warren doesn't do crushes, they're not dark and angry things! And he totally got all up in that Emma Frost girl…_ Will's brain reminded him that Warren had also been with her for all of a couple months before moving on. Moving on very quickly, and with no apparent sign of regret.

With a small noise of frustration, Will stopped falling and zoomed back up into the sky. He couldn't go home right away, he needed to fly. Not particularly caring where he went, the son of Jetstream used his mother's powers like never before. He shot through the sky like a missile, flying as fast as he possibly could.

_Is that the problem? Warren likes me? God, it's bad enough that I'm… _Will cut out that thought and performed a few loops. For a moment there was nothing but the cool rush of air, the vague mist of clouds (wetter than Will had originally anticipated) and a clean absence of odors, just fresh air. He hung there, for a moment, letting the sun hit his body and bathe him in warmth.

_So what do I do? Warren is never going to actually want to talk about anything, and I don't want to push him away._ Will's head was beginning to hurt from thinking about all this. As a rule, Will tried to stay away from high school dramatics. And as a rule, he was inevitably pulled in to the fray.

The first thing he needed to do was mend his fence with Danny. It wasn't the black haired boy's fault that Warren was so pissed off. Well, except for the fact that in this case it was. Maybe if he told Danny that, then Danny would be more understanding, and he could get a gauge on what Danny's feelings on gayness were.

Will pulled his backpack around and rummaged in it for the GPS unit he'd built at the end of last year for his Mad Science project. He would just head over to Amity Park, hang out for a while and then hunt Danny Phantom down.

The sky was split apart by the sound of Will flying. He broke the sound barrier pretty easily these days, although he was still nowhere as fast as his mother. The trip was a bit longer today, Sky High had moved again and was now somewhat further from Amity Park than before.

Before long he was nearing it, and began to slow down and lower his approach. He set down and hid behind a billboard that proclaimed in jaunty colors "Amity Park, A Safe Haven." Will changed into his costume and then flew back out. He wasn't supposed to use his costume, but he figured that if he just flew around the city a bit no one would be able to make out his face. As he flew into town, he noticed that Amity Park really was a fairly nice place.

Will spent some time flying around, doing a few good deeds (he'd never actually rescued a cat from a tree, being invulnerable came in real handy there). He was currently floating above a school, his face resting in his hand. He wished he knew if Danny would even come here, he didn't know where Danny's house was. Danny's dad had simply teleported them in and out, and the castle could have been anywhere. He'd spun around the city looking for one, but he hadn't found it.

"Ghost!" shouted someone, making Will spin around into a defensive stance. A blast of energy hit him in the chest and made him feel like someone had thrown hot wax at him. The blast had come from a very, very interesting looking person. She, and it was fairly obvious it was a woman, was clothed from head to toe in sleek red, and floating on a dangerous looking, flying surf board. She was now peering at him quizzically.

"You're not a ghost, are you?" The girl's voice was full of confusion. Will brushed off his costume.

"No, I'm not. I take it you're a ghost hunter?" he asked. The girl nodded and holstered her gun.

"Yeah, what are you? I thought there weren't kid superheroes anymore," the ghost hunter said.

"Well I'm in training, I was just hanging out here looking for a friend."

"Oh, really?" Her voice was very interested now. "Who were you looking for?"

"Danny—" Will started and then stopped abruptly. If this girl was a ghost hunter, and Danny was a half ghost, then she might be one of the ghost hunters who were hunting him. The girl was looking at him oddly, behind her mask, as the silence stretched past a normal pause.

"Danny, who? Only Danny I know is a Danny Fenton," the girl said as she crossed her arms. Will frowned, she definitely hadn't said "Phantom," but that sounded oddly similar.

"HEY! WILL!" The two fliers looked below them to see Tucker and Sam. Will grinned at the two teens and waved.

"I know these guys, I'll see you later, maybe. What's your name?" Will asked, as he extended his hand. The red suited woman looked at him, and he felt he was being scrutinized although he couldn't tell what her opinion of him was. After a moment she took his hand, and squeezed it roughly. Will applied a mere fraction of his super-strength to the handshake, making the red material (it felt like leather but almost a fabric) squeeze around the hand inside.

"That's quite a grip you have there, Will. And yeah, maybe I will see you around," the ghost hunter took off with a roar on her flying board. Will frowned, she hadn't told him her codename. Oh well, he shrugged and floated down to Danny's friends.

"Hey, I don't know if I told you the other day, nice duds," Sam said as a greeting. Will grinned at her appreciatively.

"Thanks, Costume Design is an upper class course but my dad helped me alter one of his old costumes," Will responded happily. Sam raised an eyebrow; he got the feeling that was a maneuver she performed a lot. Tucker snickered a little behind his hand.

"So, you want to go somewhere we can talk?" Will nodded, for the first time taking actual notice of the fact that no one was around them.

"Where do people go around here? Didn't school just get out?" Sam smirked.

"You scared them off. It's nice when it's quiet anyways." Will flushed and looked around nervously.

"I didn't mean to scare anyone off."

"It's fine, dude, people are just uptight about ghosts around here, so when a flying person comes by they don't think 'superhero' first," Tucker explained.

"Let's get you a place to change and then we can hang out till Danny gets back," Sam said and Will grinned.

"One second," he said, and ducked behind a tree. Although he wasn't as fast as Ethan at costume changing—Ethan was the fastest out of their grade—he could still get into civvies within less than 5 seconds. He popped out the other side of the tree and was treated to twin incredulous stares.

"Wow, that was fast," drawled Sam, looking him up and down in a way that made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Superheroes have to costume change quickly. Not everyone can just 'poof' like Danny does," Will replied cheekily. Sam snickered and Tucker laughed outright.

"I have to say that to him. 'Danny, quick, we'll distract everyone so you can go poof,'" Tucker laughed. Will grinned; he liked Danny's friends. Too bad Danny didn't like his very much, or rather just Warren. The others got along fine with the dark haired ghost boy.

"Let's go get some food, lunch got interrupted by a ghost and I'm starved," Sam said as she patted her stomach. Will's stomach rumbled a bit, his lunch hadn't been interrupted but he also hadn't exactly eaten a lot.

"Where's a good place around here?"

"There's a Nasty Burger pretty close to here that everyone goes to," Tucker informed him. Will nodded; he could always eat a hamburger. Only… He turned to Sam.

"Do we want to go anywhere with a wider menu?" Tucker gave him a strange look and Sam appeared startled. "I only mean, Danny said you're ultra-recyclo-vegetarian, and so is my best friend Layla, so we could eat somewhere else, I wouldn't mind." Will hated his tendency to babble.

"Wow, I think I love you. Don't worry though, the Nasty Burger here does their own rendition of vegan options, it's pretty good for a chain restaurant," Sam told him as they started walking. "Tucker and Danny never really care about my eating choices."

"That's because you're crazy for giving up meat. How can you not miss a delicious steak? Slightly rare so that it just melts in your mouth…" Tucker trailed off, practically drooling with desire. Will blinked in surprise, he wasn't aware people felt so strongly about meat. Although given how Layla felt about vegetables, he supposed it wasn't too unusual.

"Because I don't desire to murder something just so I can eat," Sam shot back. Tucker waved his hand dismissively at her.

"You're crazy, end of story. Let's get some eats." Sam threw her hands up in the air and walked forward. The argument felt old and familiar to Will, obviously one that had been going on for some time, and held no real malice, just tradition.

"So, who was that ghost hunter I ran into? She seemed… aggressive," Will said. Sam and Tucker exchanged glances.

"She is, and she's a good person," Sam looked like someone was pulling her teeth out as she talked. "But she's been mislead by one of Danny's enemies, so she thinks he's evil."

"What's her name?"

"Valerie," Tucker said, "but she doesn't know that we know her secret identity." Will nodded with understanding. As they trio walked onward, they chatted about ghost hunters, and the ghosts of Amity Park.

* * *

Danny sighed as he stepped into the shower. Sky High's locker rooms were a great plus for the school, in Danny's mind. He wasn't used to locker rooms that were actually clean, and that he could walk around in with impunity. There was the faint odor that comes from being a spot where sweaty adolescent boys clean up, but it was curiously neutralized. The smell was there, just suppressed. Danny wondered how they did it, and decided mad science must be involved. 

Danny stood under the hot water, and let all the aches and bruises from his Power Practice session just soak in the heat. Dimly, he heard someone else enter the shower room. He turned to see the boy who had been his partner for the last segment of Save the Citizen, the one person he needed to talk to, and desperately wanted to never see again. Warren Peace.

Warren, for his part, dismissed Danny with a silent snarl, going to stand under the showerhead farthest from Danny. The ghost boy noticed that the older boy was quite well defined, more like Dash's physique than his own or Will's. Danny turned back to his own shower and began to wash.

"Listen, Masters, I don't do apologies, and I don't expect you to either. But, Stronghold has decided that I'm his best friend, and so…" Warren trailed off. Danny swiveled around to face the other boy, who was pointedly looking at the wall. "So, we're just gonna forget lunch happened, okay?" Danny nodded, and Warren actually looked at him.

"But if you endanger his life again, your ass is grass. I don't care if you're already out there, Will isn't ready for the real deal, yet," Warren said.

"Maybe you should let Will decide what he is and isn't ready for," Danny shot back. Warren began to steam, literally. The water hitting him was practically sizzling. "He's invulnerable, you know, and he can hold his own."

"I know he can hold his own," Warren ground out each word grudgingly. "He's already held his own, against a real villain, and he doesn't need anything else happening like that." Danny held his breath, and counted to 10. He made it to 5.

"What is the deal with that, what the hell happened that has everyone so uptight about it? Will refuses to talk about it, and I'm not going to force him to tell me." Warren snorted.

"That's the first good decision you've made since you started here," said the black haired boy, who was currently washing said hair. His shampoo made the room smell slightly fragrant. Not fruity, but fresh and spring like.

"Come on, man, just tell me. I don't want to accidentally bring it up, again," Danny tried to appeal to Warren's sense of friendship. Maybe he'd tell him if he put the request in terms of making Will's life easier. Sure enough, Warren sighed and began to talk.

"Freshman year, Stronghold met this girl. Her name was Gwen Grayson, and she was a senior who turned out to be a super villain with a grudge against his parents. There, that's the story." A lot of things clicked, and a lot of new questions came up. But Warren had said all he cared to say on the matter. Danny frowned.

"Dude, that's screwed up, but what's such the big deal? I mean, something else must have happened."

"You're not very smart, are you?" Warren said with a smirk.

"Screw you, man," Danny muttered as he finished rinsing. He didn't know how Warren moved so fast, he didn't know why he didn't hear the other boy, and wasn't sure what prompted the action, but Warren was suddenly slamming him up against the wall. The taller boy's forearm was pressing Danny's chest back against the tiles on the wall, and the look in Warren's eyes made Danny flinch a bit.

"If you hurt Stronghold, I'll destroy you," Warren threatened. Danny snorted and phased through the other boy, becoming invisible and intangible. Warren didn't stumble, but simply stood and glowered at the air around him.

"Like I need to worry about getting Will hurt, you're the one who can't even use his first name. You are a serious fruit loop, dude," Danny stayed invisible and left the shower room, leaving Warren to finish showering.

As Danny threw on some clothes, ignoring the chatter of his fellow male students, he thought about Will, and Warren. He did not get it. Warren was an ass, frankly, and Will was the complete opposite of that. Danny couldn't think of anyone who was as compassionate as Will, without being a fool, like say Danny's father. His real father, Jack Fenton.

_God I can't stand acting like Vlad is my dad. I just know he gets off on it, somehow,_ the ghost boy thought. He shrugged his way into his t-shirt and began to lace up his shoes. Then Sam's voice rang out in his head, and was, as per usual, the voice of reason.

_"There's more to being a superhero than just fighting, Danny."_ Okay so she hadn't said that exactly, she'd said something… but Danny got the point. Still, he wished he knew what Vlad's plan was.

_Okay, so Vlad is obsessed with chess, which means that he plans out moves in advance. So he anticipates the actions of others, and he's focused on an ultimate goal in a larger scheme. Great, that just means he's way better at this than I am._ It was times like this that Danny really wished he had someone to talk to, someone smarter than him who knew his secret, someone he could talk to easily…

_Jazz! I'll call Jazz. She's a know-it-all, but that's perfect for this._ Danny grinned as he shouldered his bag and walked out of the locker room. He flipped out his cell phone, and saw that he got full reception. The phone rang a couple times before Jazz picked up.

"Hey, Danny, what's up?" Danny waved to Layla and Magenta as he walked and talked.

"Not much, I was thinking about my father, and wondering what his plans were," Danny said.

"Your father?" Jazz sounded baffled. "Oh, yes, of course. Well, Danny, I don't know. Have you tried snooping around?"

"How well do you think I'd manage that?"

"Yeah, you'd probably be pretty terrible at snooping."

"Hey! I'm a ghost boy, not a spy."

"I'm glad you're not a sneaky person like him, Danny, it's what makes you special." Danny blushed, he hated it when his sister said things like that. It was, of course, the sort of hate that's really just love turned around and covered with embarrassment.

"Thanks, Jazz, I'm special, whoopdeedoo. Seriously, I'm really starting to worry. He's got to have something big planned."

"Danny, I don't want to worry you, just concentrate on learning as much as you can."

"What? You know something? Tell me!"

"Danny—"

"No, Jazz, tell me, I have a right to know."

"Fine… Danny, I don't know specifically what Vlad's plan is, but… Well, do you think that he would ever reveal himself like he has for you, if he wouldn't come out on top in the end?" Danny stopped walking.

"So, that means that no matter what, he's sure that by the end of the year his secret identity won't matter?"

"Yes, and I—Oh fudge buckets, I have a class to get to. Bye, Danny, take care!" And she hung up. Danny stared at the phone in his hand, his mind racing. Somehow, by the end of the school year, Vlad's secret, his secret, would no longer matter. But what did it mean? Jazz knew something else, too, Danny was sure of it. She'd hung up entirely too quickly.

_Jazz is scared? Oh man, that can't be good. And I cannot believe she hung up on me!_ Because Jazz was fearless. Well, not true. But she was a Fenton, through and through. And when the going got tough, Fentons got going even harder.

Danny transformed, and flew up and off Sky High. He had a lot to think about.

* * *

Thank you: Pieling, LuvrofAnime, Shade, Sasai93, dark-angel miyuki, nonasuki-chan, zeo knight, Din Kelion and Koril Dragonic (I can empathize, I love superheroes too). 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—Wah, almost a whole month! So sorry (school rules!), but here's more for you. Watch the OCs, they'll make you sleepy…

**Chapter, The Sixth**

**Homeland Security**

Danny was very glad he'd had the entire flight from Sky High to Amity Park to think. He'd mulled over the dilemma of Warren Peace, and had time to come up with a solution. If Warren said anything mean to him, he would just bite his tongue. It was a solid plan, in Danny's opinion. He even almost made it to the Nasty Burger to meet up with Sam and Tucker. Unfortunately, as he was looking for a place to set down and change, so to speak, he was hit by an ectoplasmic blast.

It smarted, like a strong slap, but Danny was used to taking such blows by now, and let the force of the shot roll him back. He tucked into a ball and turned invisible, just like the other day in Power Practice. Danny grinned as he realized that the training really was paying off.

He righted himself and then flew down to where the shot had come from. The wind whistled around him, and suddenly more shots came lancing out at him. Danny dodged them easily, but wondered how they were tracking him. Out of the sky came a roaring engine, and two men in white appeared on hover bikes.

_Fudgesicles, it's the Guys in White._ _Did I just think Fudgesicles? Great, I'm turning into my father._ Danny just hoped he didn't lose his figure. He liked being slim and athletic, or as Dash would say "scrawny and geeky." Thoughts of the bully were rare for Danny, when Dash wasn't around he didn't have to think about the blond boy, or rather watch out for him. He wondered if Dash and Kwan had a new victim, if Paullina was still queen of the social scene (he couldn't imagine her not), or if Valerie was…

_Okay, no time for thinking, gotta fly._ Danny began pulling some evasive maneuvers, and was thrilled to discover that he was now dodging nearly every shot perfectly. It was almost like a game, now that Danny knew the steps to it. The two men in white became more and more frustrated as they zoomed around the ghost boy.

The aerial dogfight drew the attention of the people below, and sure enough the screaming and general running created a lot of confusion. Danny didn't want to have to leave and hide, he just wanted to hang out with his friends. After a particularly cool looking twist (in Danny's opinion) he threw up an energy shield and let a few of the shots bounce off of it.

"Don't you guys have better things to do? Like, I don't know, capture some evil ghosts and not harass innocent people?" Danny yelled.

"Ectoplasmic entity displays delusions of innocence, get me protocols for dealing with non-corporeal beings with moral delusions," one of the guys said.

"Section-9-9, file P-V-1, chapters 3 through 6. Use the creature's delusions against it," responded the other as he flipped through his manual.

"You, ghost boy, we only want to open channels of communication, please desist in fleeing and land." Danny gawked at the men.

"Right, because I didn't just hear everything you said. Are you guys really that stupid?"

"Ghost is resisting, re-engage aggressive protocols." Danny cursed and was prepared to speed away, until Will flew up to occupy some airspace next to him. Both of the Guys in White appeared baffled at the superhero floating before them. Will was in his costume, which made Danny start to consider getting a cape. Capes did make for a great dramatic effect, and Will's billowed very nicely.

"I don't know who you guys are, but you should leave Danny Phantom alone," Will began when one of the Guys in White raised his gun and pointed it at the boy.

"A metahuman is protecting the ghost? Protocol?"

"When an ectoplasmic entity possesses a host the best way to drive them out is with pain." Danny growled and split into three copies. The Guys in White did not like that one bit.

"Subject D Phantom displays increased potency, request potency rating increase to level 8."

"Request acknowledged and seconded. Initiate new protocol—"

"New protocol override initiated, disengage weaponry and desist capture attempts," said a man with a British accent whom Danny would swear had not been floating in the air with them a second ago. Surprise was not only evident on Danny's features: Will actually gave a small shout and flinched to the side. The Guys in White had the most interesting reaction, in Danny's opinion, because they both appeared flat-footed. Completely shocked, which made Danny really curious as to whom this guy was.

"That means, boys, put your guns away and stand down. Now." The man who was in the air with them couldn't have been more than thirty, although he seemed older somehow. He had a handsome rugged face, marred by a nose that had seen far better days. Sandy blond hair, lighter than Will's, framed his head, while dark suit jacket and slacks he wore hung loosely on his well-muscled physique. A single cigarette dangled from his lips, which he pulled away to tap off the ash and exhale. The cloud of smoke hung in the air for a second, a gray mist that floated between the three parties.

"With respect, colonel Brand, this entity has violated—"

"Cease and desist means cease and desist. This is an official STRIKE enquiry into the matter of the ghost boy of Amity Park. Your assistance is no longer necessary," the man said. Both of the Guys in White frowned, but they began to leave.

"We will be posting a formal inquiry into this matter, special colonel Brand. This is American soil, don't forget that." Brand grinned with a mouth full of perfect teeth.

"Do that, chums. I love paperwork, I really do," he took another drag on the cigarette. "But in the mean time, kindly get your arses out of here before you scare some more civilians."

"Uh, thank you, I guess."

"No problem, Mr. Phantom. We've been curious about you for quite some time, but have been unable to act before today. Thank you, Mr. Stronghold, by the way." Will blinked.

"What?" The older man grinned.

"I have three for transfer to Skywatch, initiate call sign, Firebrand." Danny and Will looked at the man and then both experienced the curious sensation of having their atoms 'grabbed' by quantum possibility and replaced somewhere else in the space it takes for one moment to bleed into another moment. It felt like being squeezed too tightly by firm pillows.

Danny collapsed to the ground the second there was ground to collapse on. There was ground… _Okay, where am I? _Cool metal was all that met his fingers, and as he regained his breath and stood up, he realized he stood in a glass dome. Various personnel in blue and red suits were running around, talking and exchanging clipboards, lots and lots of clipboards. The dome had a series of metal terraces and they were standing on the highest one, overlooking the rest of the dome like rulers in a beehive.

"Welcome to Skywatch Citadel, lads. Alf, would you be so good as to clear my schedule for the day? And have tea sent up to my office." Brand was talking to a much older looking man, who appeared to still be quite fit despite the snow-white hair he sported on his head.

"Right away, colonel," the man replied.

"Please come this way, I'd like to have a chat with you both." This was directed now towards Danny and Will, both of whom were staring wildly around themselves.

"Okay, sure, but—if you don't mind me asking—who are you?" Will took the lead, as Danny was looking more than a little bewildered.

"My name is Colonel Jonathan Brand, and I'm with STRIKE: Superhuman Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies. We're a secretive organization," Brand continued as he ushered the two boys into an elevator. A small hum filled the air as the elevator rose up to the top of the glass bubble. Suddenly the elevator began to move backwards, taking them into a metal tube.

"But, we have UN jurisdiction over all international metahuman related emergencies, which is precisely why we've never been able to intervene on your behalf before, Mr. Phantom." Danny tried not to enjoy the mister now attached to his name too much.

"So what changed? And why not?"

"Why, because you're not fully human anymore, which places you out of our realm. Until, that is, Mr. Stronghold interposed himself into a combat situation, on your behalf. And since Mr. Stronghold is a metahuman… well, you get the picture, I'm sure. Taking you along was just a cautionary measure, as far as the diplomats will be concerned. But, we've been looking to contact you for a long time now, Mr. Phantom. Yours is an… extremely interesting case." The elevator, or whatever it was, stopped moving. A metallic hiss filled the small vessel as the door slid open. Brand walked on through, with Will and Danny following somewhat cautiously behind him.

The office was spacious, to put it lightly. There was a large, ornate hard wood desk set up against the far wall, with half of the rectangular room being a single enormous window pane. Outside, the skies were blue as jaybirds with puffs of pure white cotton hanging amongst them.

Brand made his way briskly towards his desk and sat down in the chair, the leather creaking as he dropped himself into it. Danny and Will stood awkwardly before the desk. There were no other chairs in the room. No other furnishings, in fact, barring the desk.

"Computer, two chairs for my guests, please. Comfortable ones," Brand said, and the next second there were two large plushy chairs for Will and Danny to sit in. The two boys looked at each in surprise.

"Hard light constructs, lads. Now take a seat, they're really quite cozy." Danny sat down; finding that the chair felt, well, real. But he knew it wasn't, and had a hard time getting comfortable. Will plopped down and grinned as the chair bounced him slightly.

"And here's tea!" A part of the wall that they had just come through opened up to reveal another seamless door. Food smells practically assaulted Danny's nostrils, and he suddenly felt the clench of hunger very strongly. The man from earlier, Alf, was walking up to the desk with a silver platter, effortlessly carrying an entire tea service.

"Here you go, Colonel, boys," he nodded to each of them, set the service on the desk (which Danny just now noticed had widened to hold it) and then took his leave.

"Please, dig in, I do remember what it's like to be a growing teenage boy," Brand said. Danny normally would have protested the stereotyping, but unfortunately it was completely true.

"Thank you, Mr. Brand," the ghost boy said as he began to stuff his face. Will, however, was eyeing the Englishman with a speculative look.

"My parents have told me about STRIKE," was all he said. Brand nodded as he poured out three cups of tea.

"I'm sure they have, we regularly commandeer them into various situations. They are the best at what they do, after all." Comments about Will's parents usually contained those exact words, but something about they way the man said it made it sound like a condemnation.

"Huh?" Danny swallowed the last bite of a crust-less ham and butter sandwich. "What's that mean?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold—and yes, Will, I do know who they are, I know who everyone is. As I was saying, they are the best at what they do, and what they do is fight large menacing figures, ego-obsessed super villains, robots, giant meteors and etcetera. They excel in those arenas beyond all measure. But, in this day and age, there is a need for a new sort of super." Will and Danny both frowned.

"Just hear me out, boys. There will always be the more, colorful threats that assault humanity. But there are more insidious threats, cancers in society, cults, corruption, and evil that cannot be attacked from the surface. It is a secret world of secret villainy, and secret heroism. You, Mr. Phantom, are the perfect candidate for such a world, which is of course why we've wanted to contact you for so long."

"Uh huh. Well that only sounds slightly crazy. Why me?"

"You're half ghost nature makes you the perfect spy. In time you'll have full control over your powers, making you at once a perfect covert agent and someone who can act as a major disaster deterrent. A subject that now brings me to you, Mr. Stronghold."

"It does?"

"Indeed, STRIKE is looking at the next generation of superheroes to form a squad for our Code: Perfect Storm protocol. Whenever the UN invokes the Perfect Storm phrase, we are allowed to intervene on a situation. Most of the time we contact the International Superhero Alliance, and frequently they send your parents. We wish to no longer have to depend on the ISA, as STRIKE answers to the global authority, and not any single entity, nation or organization. Ideally there would be two teams, one public, one not so public. You, Will Stronghold, would be the ideal face for that public team. You, Danny Phantom would be the unseen face of the hidden team. Skywatch Prime, and Skywatch Black, respectively." Danny looked dumbfounded, while Will's face radiated polite interest that was too outright to be genuine.

"That sounds cool, and completely crazy, but we're both, like, 15. Isn't that illegal, or something, to begin with?" Danny asked.

"Not much is illegal, Mr. Phantom, when one makes all the rules. That said; the offer is to be considered after you reach the age of majority in your country. In the mean time, please continue as you were. I'm just letting you know that we have our eyes on you two very bright up and coming young supers. If both of you were to become team leaders, we would even be willing to take recommendations for your team membership." Will perked up at that. Danny wasn't so sure, but…

"Could you get the Guys in White off my back?"

"I can do many things, Mr. Phantom, all you have to do is ask."

"That seems pretty giving."

"We're trying to build good will."

"Of course."

"And if you could just do me the small favor of not mentioning this to anyone else? Unless you mean to accept now, it'd be best if the villain community could get no word of what we're planning."

"For sure."

"Okay."

"Excellent, well, if there's nothing else you guys would care for?"

"I'm good," Danny said. Will just nodded.

"Then I hope you both have a lovely afternoon. _Au revoir_," Brand waved his hand, and then both boys vanished from the room. As soon as they were gone, Brand tapped the communicator hidden within his ear.

"Track that bacterial signature, I want Mr. Phantom's identity within the week."

* * *

"Wow, so that was completely insane," Danny said. Will nodded absently, he was thinking about what his parents had told him of special colonel Brand. Not all of it had been good, in fact, a lot of it painted a rather dubious picture of the man. Danny continued to rave about the oddity of the entire affair. 

"Man, I never thought that I could be a superhero after high school. I mean, I really wanted to be an astronaut, but this is like almost the same thing. I bet we get to go into space, I mean, are there aliens?"

"Aliens? Yeah, I don't know any though," Will said distractedly, his mind still thinking about the encounter rather differently from Danny.

"So I bet we get to go into space at some point. I mean—that's what I'd really want to do."

"Really?" Will's attention was diverted from his thoughts to focus on Danny. He couldn't help but pay rapt attention when Danny was talking about himself.

"Yeah. What about you?"

"Oh, well I'm going to be part of the Stronghold Three. My parents have had their hearts set on me fighting crime since I could walk. Since I got my powers and—well they just really want me to do it, you know."

"Did you wanna do something different?"

"No, I mean, I don't know. We're fifteen, we don't have to know right now."

"Dude, of course not. But that offer was pretty sweet, especially if the Guys in White stay off my back."

"About that… listen Danny, my parents have worked with STRIKE before. The thing you have to remember about them is that they're a government agency. An international one, but their primary interests are the interests of governments. Not always the people."

"You sound like Sam, or Layla."

"Seriously, Danny, being a superhero is more than just fighting evil robots and stuff. There are days my parents come home torn up inside because they can't take action against a government that oppresses women, gays or ethnic minorities. That they can't feed starving children or distribute medicine, or find water… This stuff is big, bigger than we can handle."

"Dude, we can handle it. Besides, we don't have to handle it now, we wait until we're older."

"Eighteen isn't that much older."

"Hey, listen to me. We rule, okay? I mean look at us. We're flying over a city, chatting in mid air. How cool is that?"

"But all that responsibility…"

"You can't let that get to you. Responsibility is tough, I've learned that the hard way. But you can handle it, I did after all, and you're, like, way better at this than I am." Will blushed.

"Thanks," he said. Danny grinned back at him

"No problem. Wanna go find Sam and Tucker?"

"Sure."

* * *

The so-called conversation that Danny and Warren had was enough to put the lid on their animosity. Will was still obviously uncomfortable with his two friends being at each other's throats, even if a veneer of civility now covered it. It didn't help that Magenta's amusement was so sharp at the situation that it could cut. 

For a couple weeks nothing happened. They had classes, they learned, and outside of school they had fun. Somewhat. Danny's anxiety about Vlad was growing, and he was feeling rather more than a bit lost. Sam and Tucker had borne the brunt of more than one of his ranting explosions. He figured he had one or two more before Sam kindly told him to "shove it."

He'd even tried paying extra attention in Villain Tactics, but the Ghost Zone was unlike any other villain device they'd studied. It was an entire universe, and Vlad was involved in something there...

_Things I know. After a year, Vlad will no longer care about his identity. Which means that whatever's going to happen is either so horrible we'll all die, or he'll be all-powerful after it. Or both._ Danny groaned as he buried his face in the desk his book lay open on.

Support Techniques was only offered once a week for people in Power Practice, but everyone had to take it now, even Omega level superheroes in training. So Danny's entire practice group was currently watching the former Sidekick teacher Mr. Boy show them how to color coordinate.

"Now as you can see, a color scheme can clash, but it has to do so correctly. Here we have Dark Knight and Squire. Dark Knight's costume is primarily his own Midnight Blue, a color that only appears after the fabric has been treated with—"

"Man, this is gay," muttered the boy next to Danny. Ryan Parker was in his senior seminar, and his power practice group, and he was getting used to the boy's dismissive attitude towards life. Unlike most of the people at Sky High, but like Danny, Ryan was not born with his powers. His parents were geneticists who had been attempting to blend an ant with a spider, for some reason. The ensuing abomination (Ryan's words, not Danny's) had bitten the boy and given him super powers. He had the proportionate strength and durability of the two insects, with the ability to stick to walls and perform graceful acrobatics. His sense of smell was almost as good as the wolf-girl in the junior class, and he was prone to over-indulging on sugar. Lucky for him, training to be a superhero made it pretty difficult to get fat.

"Yeah," Danny agreed. Normally Danny was decidedly against using slurs as adjectives, but nothing else really summed up his feelings the same way.

"Dude, Will, wasn't this guy your dad's sidekick?" Will was sitting on the other side of Danny, with Warren just behind Will in the last seat of the row, in the corner of the room. Warren had the same seat in every class, and Danny would be lying if he weren't slightly impressed at the way Warren claimed the seat and everyone else knew it.

Will looked uncomfortable for some reason, and Danny thought he knew why. Mr. Boy seemed pretty odd, not like his father (Jack Fenton was the king of parent-child humiliation techniques), but embarrassing at the least. He could only imagine why The Commander had kept All American Boy as his sidekick.

"Yeah," Will responded in a low voice.

"Man that must have sucked."

"How about you shut your trap, Parker," Warren's voice cut into the conversation.

"Screw you, Peace," Ryan shot back. Danny blew out some air in exasperation. Why did Warren have to butt his head into everything, and then ruin it? Only now Will was looking at Warren gratefully, and Danny suddenly felt terrible. Will had obviously been upset, and he'd ignored the cause and participated, again. Well he'd be damned if Warren Peace was proven right about him.

"Guys, just keep it down, okay?" Oh yeah, score. Will was giving him the grateful look, and maybe Danny's eyes were playing tricks on him but it seemed a bit extra-grateful-er than the one Warren got. As soon as Will's back was turned he thumbed his eye at Warren. The look the pyrokinetic gave him by all rights should have melted him then and there.

A piece of paper was suddenly on his desk. Loose handwriting had scrawled a message on it that Danny was currently unfolding.

_LOL dude are you fucking with Peace?_ Danny ignored the drone of the teacher and quickly scratched a message out.

_Only a little, he's such a jerk-off. _Making his arm invisible, Danny dropped the piece of paper on Ryan's desk. The response came back quickly.

_Yeah, but dude, you're not gay are you?_ Danny gaped at the piece of paper, and then turned to stare at Ryan. The other boy did not look like he was joking.

"Dude, what?" Danny hissed.

"Excuse me, boys, please pay attention," Mr. Boy called out and Danny spun around to stare at the teacher. Ryan turned his attention forward at a more leisurely pace. Danny resolved to interrogate the other boy after class.

"Anyways, now I'd like you to take some time to design a costume that you might wear. We like to get this process started early, as I talked about earlier. You have until the end of the period." The classroom erupted with noise as desks moved and conversations sprang up. Danny looked at the clock; there was half an hour to go. And Danny already had a costume…

"Hey guys," Layla, who was sitting in front of Will, turned around in her desk and looked back at the group. "Could you believe some of the women's costumes we just saw?" Danny smiled dreamily, female superhero costumes tended towards skimpy at best, and as far as Danny was concerned, that was best. Because he was totally not gay, he definitely was attracted to girls. Completely straight over here, yes sir. Never once thought about another boy naked, or wondered what they looked like without their clothes on… Only girls, clearly.

"You're too uptight, Williams, we think the costumes are just fine, don't we, guys?" Ryan looked at the other three boys expectantly. Danny cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to fight a blush down. Will was looking warily at Layla, who was sending a very cold look to Ryan

"Yeah, Layla, I'd love to see what you looked like in Lady Felina's outfit," Warren said. Danny choked on a laugh; amusement was welling up in his chest like an uncontrollable wind. He could not believe that Warren had just said that. Evidently neither could Layla or Will, as they both looked like breathing had just been outlawed. Lady Felina was a notable villainess because she had a tendency to seduce any male hero sent to apprehend her (and even a few female supers if the rumors were more than just fantasy fodder). Her costume contributed to her notoriety by being a little more than a g-string and skimpy top. Being robbed by Lady Felina was a Thing. If you were rich and fabulous, a prestigious organization or just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could be accosted by Lady Felina and be famous the next day, until her next victim surfaced.

"Damn straight, Peace. You wanna grab some lunch after this, Layla? Maybe discuss some costume changes, somewhere private?" Ryan was leering at Layla rather openly now. Will's face did a 180, and was suddenly intense in a way that made Danny feel unsettled.

"Hey—" Will started angrily, but Layla put a gentle hand on his arm. Will visibly calmed and then gave Layla a contrite look.

"Will, I can handle myself." She turned to look at Ryan who was making kissy faces at her. Danny was trying really hard not to laugh now, but if he bit his tongue any harder he was going to break the skin.

"Ryan, I don't believe in cruelty to animals, so I won't threaten you. But I do promise that if you don't stop that now, I'm going to stop it for you." She wasn't frightening in the least, just stating pure fact. The entire effect was one that indicated complete serious intent, no malice or anger, just intention. Ryan sat back slowly in his chair and nodded respectfully at Layla.

"Of course, ma'am," he said with exaggerated stiffness. Layla sniffed and went back to working on her costume. Will glared at Ryan (the glare had no effect) before turning around to chat with Warren.

Danny was still holding his amusement in, when Ryan turned his attention towards the halfa.

"Seriously, dude, if you're gay, like, I'm chill with it, but—" the boy began whispering.

"Man, what is giving you this idea?" Danny hissed back at him.

"You're coming between Will and Peace. I was just gonna say, not a good idea."

"Okay, first thing, I'm Will's friend, second thing, Will's not gay. Third thing, Warren is an ass."

"Dude, everyone knows that Peace is all over Will."

"What?"

"Oh come on, see the way that only Will is allowed to get close to Peace? Peace only smiles and laughs when Will make him? Half the chicks here love them and the other half hate them because they know it's pointless to come between them. Even Layla." Danny's eyes widened and he cast a speculative look over his shoulder.

"No, there's no way—"

"Whatever dude, it's obvious, but no one says anything cuz they're, you know, them. And it's Peace."

"I don't believe it."

"Why not? They fag it up like non-stop."

"I just—I don't know. I didn't know. Weird. So, uh, what ideas you got for a costume?" Danny was desperate for a conversation change. Ryan leaned back and began to speak in a louder voice.

"Well I want something badass. Capes are totally old, and a trench coat would be cool if so many dorks didn't wear them already. You know, your costume is pretty cool, how did you come up with it?"

"It just kinda happened, I didn't really have much input on it, except for the insignia, which my friend Sam came up with."

"Sam?"

"She and Tucker are my best friends, we all went to the same high school until I transferred here."

"You let civilians know your identity?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Dude, that's awesome. My best bud MJ knows about my powers too." Ryan and Danny chatted for the last few minutes of class, just long enough for Danny to put certain things out of his mind to think about later.

* * *

Sam eyed Danny as if he were some new and frightening creature. "What?" 

"How do you know if someone has a gay crush on someone else?"

"It's a crush, Danny, no different than a straight one. Now why would you want to know something like that?"

"I guess you're right… Oh, well, I just, had this conversation at school today…" Danny trailed off and Sam leaned in to stare at him piercingly.

"Never mind, just… Look my main concern should be Vlad right now. What is he planning, why, where and all that. The only thing I know is when his plan goes down, and there doesn't seem to be any significance to that!" Danny gestured wildly, almost knocking over his milkshake.

"Right. Okay…" Sam was still giving Danny a strange look.

"Seriously, Sam, can we focus?"

"Fine, whatever—oh, Danny, don't look behind you but—"

"Hey, Fenton, what's up?" Danny looked up into the bright blue eyes of Dash Baxter, and felt a brief quiver of fear.

"Uh, hey, Dash, not much, what's up with you?"

"Not much. I was just asking Manson and Foley the other day what happened to you. I haven't seen you at school for a while."

"Uh, well I transferred to another school."

"Really? That's too bad."

"Too—bad? What?" Danny was confused. Sam sighed and began to play with her food.

"It's not the same around Casper without you."

"Yeah, cuz you don't have my to beat on or shove in a locker." Dash winced at Danny's words.

"About that… Fenton I want to apologize."

"You—wait, you want to apologize?"

"Wow, I thought I had seen everything," Sam remarked idly.

"I've been thinking a lot about last year, and I don't want to be that guy, you know? So I'm sorry, Fenton, sorry for everything."

"Uh, thanks, Dash."

"Well I'll leave you guys alone, bye." Danny stared at Dash's retreating back, the large varsity jersey he always wore and those tight jeans he squeezed into. He could not believe what had just happened.

"Do you need me to pinch you?" Sam drawled.

"Sam, there is no way that just happened."

"I'd have to beg to differ on that one. Cuz it just did."

"Beg to differ about what now?" The last member of the trio had arrived. He didn't even bother to look up from his PDA as he practically fell into the booth.

"Hey, Tucker. Dash just blew up Danny's brain," Sam said as she watched Danny twitch. Her amusement was almost cat-like in proportion.

"Dude, he apologized to me. Apologized."

"Really?" Tucker looked up from whatever he was doing.

"Yep, I saw it with my own two eyes. And apparently it made Danny blow a fuse." Danny was not quite finished freaking out.

"He apologized to me. Dash Baxter said sorry to me. Has anyone else been acting strange? Is there a brainwashing ghost going around? I should follow him and see if a pod-person has taken over him, or maybe something even worse!" Danny made a move to get up, his mind racing with various reasons for why Dash would act so strange.

"Sit down, Danny, he's been acting nice since the year started. Would you believe that he's become even more popular because of it?" Sam said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's like some sort of twilight zone episode, only it's been going on for weeks. So wassup?" Tucker asked.

"Danny's worried about whatever scheme Vlad has cooked up."

"Justifiably so, I imagine."

"I just wish I had an idea of what he was going to do."

"Why don't you ask him?" Danny stared at Tucker.

"Bwah?" Danny made that noise that comes out of people when the natural order of things as they saw it finally collapses completely on itself.

"I think that's a good idea," Sam smiled at Tucker.

"It can't hurt, and you never know, he might tell you. He usually does, doesn't he?' Danny paused to consider the idea.

"Yeah, I read that it's part of the villain psyche, that they need others to appreciate their actions. I'll give it a shot, Tuck. But, he could always just lie to me."  
"Well then we'd know what his plan wasn't."

"Brilliant, Sam."

"Geeze, Danny, lighten up. Vlad's a nutcase, you have plenty of time."

"I don't know, Sam, there's so much about this that seems urgent…"

"Relax, Danny, Sam's right. We've beaten Vlad before, and we'll do it again." Danny resisted the urge to say that he was the one who beat Vlad.

* * *

Vlad Masters could not keep the smirk off his face if he tried. He practically lounged on his throne, a massive chalk white structure sitting on the pedestal where the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep once stood. The white glared and reflected light like a crystal, and the skulls adorning the angles of the chair flared darkly from the recesses of their faces. The effect was a stark contrast between light and darkness. 

The Fright Knight entered the throne room, bowing at the entrance to Vlad, before walking towards the pedestal. Vlad had taken Pariah's Keep and rebuilt it to fit his desires. The throne room was now decorated with draconic carvings, and far more ornately Gothic than before.

The Fright Knight knelt before the Throne of Bone, and addressed his master.

"My Lord, we have the final report. You now control the entirety of the heavily populated portions of the Ghost Zone." Vlad smiled. At last, he had achieved dominion over the denizens of the Ghost Zone.

"Excellent, then it is time for me to issue my first edict. Conscription into a war effort will begin immediately."

"My Lord, before you do so, you have a visitor." Vlad's smirk dimmed for a moment, but he could afford to be magnanimous in his moment of triumph. He was the king after all, didn't he have a veritable duty to his newly loyal subjects? And if they irritated him, he could just obliterate them.

"Then let them enter." Vlad's smirk crashed as the doors opened. Into the room strode the powerful warrior woman whom Clockwork had spoken to. Her cloak and hood were pulled back to reveal a strong face and powerful presence.

"Rite," Vlad greeted the ghost darkly.

"King Plasmius," the woman nodded to the halfa, refusing to bow. Vlad's teeth almost cracked, his jaw was so tight.

"What does the Council of Crows want?" he managed to spit out.

"As we warned Pariah Dark, so shall we warn you. You are the ruler and the guardian, but you must care for those you rule. If you do not, we will imprison you until your successor can be crowned." Rite's voice was strong and carrying, and her stance belied the martial beliefs that spoke of how she planned to enforce such a statement.

"Is that it? I have important business to get to," Vlad said, gently placing his fingertips together. The anger was gone from his countenance.

"This is most assuredly important," Rite said, frowning. Her body language now betrayed slight confusion. Vlad did enjoy dealing with ghosts who used to be human, or at least part human. They had the fortunate tendency to remember body language, and not guard against it. Ghosts didn't understand body language; it didn't fit into their senses. Ectoplasm responded to energy, all manner of energy. Clockwork had showed him so much, and there was still so much to discover…

"No, no I don't think it is. The Council of Crows will not act against me, or I will cease all of my duties, effective immediately. The hold on the Shadow Gate will crumble and then Maleficent Shade will assume control of the Ghost Zone. And then where will your council be?"

"You would not dare."

"Oh yes, yes I would. The Council bows to me, now." Rite's eyes were red with fury.

"We will discuss this, Plasmius."

"Very well, then discuss this too. Should you seek to make amends to your King, you will procure the Ring and the Crown from the Observants. I will need them before this is over." Rite's scowl darkened. The Observants would not take the intervention of the Council lightly. There would be a war, and with the power of the ghosts warring, it would be difficult to judge who would win. Whatever Vlad did, he eliminated an enemy.

"You are dismissed, Rite," Vlad tossed out, almost as an afterthought. Rite's expression was almost murderous and she vanished with an angry thundering sound.

"My lord?" The Fright Knight finally spoke up. Vlad smiled and his smile was eerily reminiscent of the skull smiles around him. Empty of real humor, full of cold amusement.

"Yes, it is time to begin."

* * *

"Yes, it is time to begin." Three figures stood together in a place that defied description. They stood in a place that was not so much a location, but a state of mind. They stood in the darkness of childhood fear, the conquering dark of night, from when man could not create fire. It was the encroaching shadow that sapped heat from limbs, sight from the eyes, and left only fear in its passing. 

"The boy is still the key, but Plasmius has fortified all major exits from the Ghost Zone, not just the Shadow Gate. Only Selena made it out." The woman speaking was tall and slender; her skin was the color of a full moon, while her hair was a cascade of light down her slender back.

"Yes, but something a bit smaller could fit through the cracks," said the largest of the three, a powerfully broad-shouldered man. He had a neatly trimmed goatee and large ram-horns protruding from his forehead to curl around his temples. His skin was the color of blood on sand, covered in scars and marked from many battles.

"What did you have in mind, my lord?"

"A Smee," the man rumbled.

"A Smee? Letting a Smee out of our immediate control could end… poorly."

"Worst comes to worst, Plasmius has to leave and kill it, then we are left with an opening, are we not?"

"Very true. Rose, my dear, would you please summon your father and mother a Smee?" The final member of the three was a voluptuous woman. She appeared young and beautiful; her body shaped according to an hourglass, her hair luxuriant and richly red, and her facial features were flawless. Her skin was covered in tattoos of roses, wreathing their way around her legs and up her spin. Two dragons bloomed out of the roses to twine around each other on her breasts, and the only place on her body without adornment was her face. Her perfectly high cheekbones and elegantly drawn chin alone could have set countless man to frenetic warring for her affections. But her eyes, her eyes were like lost children, terrified and alone, never able to return home.

The girl nodded once, in a dazed way. The roses on her body began to pulsate with dark potential. For a second the idea of space before Rose shimmered, and then there was a sense of great malevolence, and unrestricted hate, all of it compressed into a form too small to contain such fury..

"Thank you very much, Rose," the woman said. Her husband impressed his will upon the Smee with a great crashing sound.

"You have one mission, find this boy, and destroy him." The Smee wailed as its desire to rend and murder was curbed by instruction.

"Find. Destroy. Boy." The Smee did not have a voice as such; it could only parrot the commands it was given. The man smiled.

"Excellent, now go."

Thanks to: Chiro Phantom, Nevermore, Koril Dragonic, Zeo knight, Nonasuki-Chan, Din Kelien. Dark Dagzar, thank you for critique!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—I'm very, very, very sorry. I am going to finish this story, it is plotted out, but the past few months have been nothing short of hellish. To try and atone, I've pushed a scene up that I thought wouldn't happen for at least another two chapters, but this actually works better all around plot-wise, and you guys deserve something for how mean I've been to you all. Also, I literally just finished writing this before I posted it, and I'm putting it up before I edit it fully. So there may be mistakes, but I just really wanted to get you guys a new chapter rather than sitting on it editing for a week. Admittedly, that would make it in time for Christmas, but I'm Jewish so nyah nyah nyah. I promise that chapter 8 will actually come in a timely fashion, and I'm so sorry I can't thank everyone for their reviews right now but I promise that I love you all and thank you so, so much for reading this story.

**Chapter, The Seventh**

**Chasing the Waterfall**

"All right you pretty little flowers, today I have some work I need to catch up on. So I'm going to pair all of you off to go practice on the exercise of my choice." Will grimaced as Coach Boomer stalked around the group. Will's Power Practice group was the collection of the most powerful students at Sky High. This meant that Danny and Warren were both present, and Layla was very pointedly Not Attending.

"Stronghold, you're going to help Masters get his flying speed up. Peace, you and Frost are going to see if you can make lightning…" Boomer kept talking but Danny and Will were already flying up. Danny grabbed Will's hand to turn them both intangible. Will reflexively grabbed back, and flushed. He turned his head slightly away and almost missed Danny's speculative glance.

When they hit the outside, Danny dropped Will's hand, but (and Will didn't know if it was his imagination or not) it seemed like Danny had paused while Will's hand was still in his own. Will felt a stab of irritation, it really sucked being attracted to your friends.

There, he'd admitted it. He found Danny Masters attractive. Bone-able. Hot sauce. Whatever. It just didn't help when Danny looked at him with those beautiful blue eyes, or glowing creepy green ones, Will became enthralled, and had trouble stopping himself from gazing soulfully into Danny's face, his smile and his soft dark hair that was being ruffle by the wind just—

_Staring again…_ Danny waved a hand in front of Will's face.

"Yoo hoo, earth to Will," the ghost boy began snapping his fingers.

"Sorry, I'm back. Okay. So, speed."

"Yeah, I'm still not topping 150. And Vl—my dad—can hit way faster than that."

"Well are your powers just like his?"

"Actually, I don't really know. There is more than a little overlap, but I'm pretty sure… Well, he did give Principal Powers a list of powers I might develop."

"He gave her a list?"

"Yeah."

"Like, there's more than one?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Why didn't he give you the list?"

"He said some crap about not knowing how they'd develop, and not wanting to interfere with that."

"Oh. Well, let's get to work."

"All right, what do we do?"

"You're going to try and catch me." And with that, Will flew up hard and fast. Danny grinned and shot after him.

The two boys became a blur as Danny careened after Will. The brown haired boy couldn't but enjoy the pursuit, as Danny tried to keep up with him. Here was something Will could still do better than his friend. Although the Sky High social scene had transformed since Will and his friends had saved the school and set it on its head, there was still a definite social hierarchy based on the kids' superpowers. It was a fine system, until someone like Danny came along, who could do just about anything.

As he banked through the air, he thought about his parents' request to "keep an eye" on Danny. If there was anything Will was sure about in regards to his new friend, it was that Danny was not evil. To be sure Danny had a few character flaws: a healthy bit of egoism, a little petty vindictiveness to name two. Nothing that was out of the ordinary though, and in Will's opinion it would take some sort of intense trauma to warp his personality into evil.

There was a cluster of clouds drifting over the floating school, and Will took it upon himself and Danny to properly disperse them. If there was a single activity Will could pick to enjoy flying, it was cloud diving. It felt like jumping into a cool pond, there was the brief sensation of water on his skin, and then just a cool feeling as he sped on through the air.

Danny was tailing him as best he could, but despite his efforts he could not match Will's speed. Effortlessly keeping ahead of the dark haired boy, he took a moment to observe the intense look on Danny's face. His brilliant green eyes narrowed slightly in concentration while his lips parted just enough or reveal a mouth full of clean white teeth.

Will wondered if Danny's mouth tasted as good as it looked. He wanted to know if Danny was an aggressive kisser, or if he wanted to be ravished. Heat coursed through Will's body, and he spun around to fly straight ahead. Looking at Danny distracted him; it made him think about how the other boy smelled. Made him think about hands and skin and legs all entangled…

He shook his head and flew straight up. Shaking those thoughts clear of his mind was suddenly a great deal harder than usual.

_Not the only thing that's harder than usual._

Sunlight bathed Will even as the air grew cold. Will sometimes imagined not stopping, just flying straight into space. He wondered if his body could handle it. After rising to a certain point, he turned and began to dive back down. Scanning the sky, he realized he couldn't find Danny. He hadn't gone too fast for the other boy, had he?

Arms caught him, wrapping around his chest and suddenly Danny's body was right behind Will's, practically riding him.

Will felt like he almost had a stroke, the blood dropped out of his brain and into his crotch so fast.

"Gotcha!" Danny yelled gleefully, his green eyes glowing with delight.

"Ack!" Will yelped. Danny held on for another second, another glorious, magnificent moment. Then he dropped away and grinned at Will.

"So, I think I've definitely gotten faster, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah you have, man," Will said.

"Well, should we head back?"

"Yeah—" Will began when Danny's breath turned blue. The other boy groaned in frustration.

"Oh no, we have ghost incoming."

"Can you tell what kind?"

"No, I can't do that. At least, I don't think I can, for all I know I can," Danny said. A roar of jet engines brought the boys around, flying towards them was a very familiar looking ghost, to Danny at least.

"Skulker?" The ghost stopped before the two super-powered teens. Danny instantly assumed an attack stance which made Will tense up for battle.

"Hello, my prince," Skulker said and proceeded to kneel in mid-air. Danny's eyes went wide and darted to Will's. Will had his mouth slightly open and his head tilted to the side, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Wait, what? WHAT?" Skulker's mouth was twisted with displeasure.

"By the decree of King Plasmius, you are to be assigned a guardian until the matter of the Shadow Gate is concluded, your highness." Danny stared blankly at the ghost. Will stared blankly at Danny, and then the ghost. Skulker growled as the silence stretched on.

"Listen, whelp, because you and Plasmius were the ones to defeat Pariah Dark, you share regency of the Ghost Zone. It is my duty to follow you and protect you from harm." Danny's face went from blank confusion to derision in a split second.

"Please, how are you supposed to protect me when time after time I've kicked your butt?" Skulker grinned widely.

"This time I have no prohibitions against undue force. Make no mistake, child, I will strike to kill as it pleases me, and only the decrees of my master are enough to curb that will." With that, Skulker vanished, although Danny knew he was still lurking about.

"That was major-league creepy, dude, I have..." Danny trailed off while Will's mind frantically tried to put together everything that had just happened. Did the ISA know that Vlad and Danny Masters were royalty? And why didn't Danny know about this? In effect, Will wanted to know what the hell was going on.

* * *

Most teenagers spend a reasonable amount of time introspectively, even if they're not aware of it. Danny was no exception, but he felt he spent an awful lot of time just thinking, and not doing anything. Like now. Perhaps it was all just part and parcel of the super hero thing. 

Or maybe, just maybe, it was because utterly ridiculous, stupid things happened to him all the freaking time.

Like being declared the king of the Ghost Zone? Or prince, rather. Sky High hung ahead of him and Will, spinning slowly amongst the clouds. Danny sighed, and only just noticed that his breath was blue again. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and Danny suddenly flung himself to the side.

Racing through the spot he'd occupied just moments before, a dark shape, like a shadow at night, screeched as it missed the halfa. Danny rolled through the air as he had been practicing, and then threw up an ecto-energy shield. He saw Will drop out of the clouds and watched as the dark shape resolved itself into a vaguely human form, with impossibly long arms and claws for fingers.

"My Prince, this is why I was assigned to you." Danny kept on eye on the shadow monster thing and the other on Skulker who had just reappeared.

"What is that thing?'

"It is called a Smee. It is rage and hatred wrapped in violence and murder, conceived beyond the Shadow Gate and past the Veil itself."

"Oh, well, sorry I asked then," muttered Danny.

"I will enjoy making a coat of its skin."

"You are seriously freaking me out today, Skulker." Hideous shrieking rent the air as the Smee began to cry wildly. Skulker's engine pack roared as he shot forward, two blades appearing out of his arms. He lunged; blade forward, at the Smee, but the creature writhed around him, speeding straight for Danny. Skulker turned, popped a laser gun out of his wrist and fired at the Smee. The shadow skin bubbled and hissed like boiling tar where the laser blasts hit, making the Smee shriek again, but this time so loudly that Danny's ears hurt.

_What is it with these new creepy ghosts and shrieking?_

Skulker had the creature's attention now, and began furiously dueling with it. The creature didn't strike so much as flow like water. Skulker parried as best he could but one hit got lucky and tore a chunk of his cyber-suit's thigh armor off.

"That's it, time to go save my bodyguard." Danny was about to let down the shield when Will shot out of the clouds so fast Danny didn't realize what had happened until after it was all over.

Sound filled the vacant air as Will's passage left a sonic boom. Skulker was knocked aside from his proximity to the blast, but the Smee didn't have time to go intangible and was hit dead on by Will. The force of impact ripped the Smee apart, and pieces of its shadowy skin hung in the air like shreds of moonless nights in the mid-day sky. A ghost who stayed tangible was just a vulnerable as anything was to Will's super-strength.

Danny waited for the ringing in his ears to subside. By the time he could hear reasonably again Will was back and nudging an unconscious Skulker with his foot.

"Danny, your life is seriously weird, you know that?" Danny stared at Will, at the boy who was floating in the air, under his own super power, who had the most famous super hero parents on the planet and had already fought his first super villain, an arch-nemesis of his parents who had been turned into a baby only to grow up again to get revenge. Danny stared at him, and something about the ridiculousness of the day, about the life and death situation that he had so easily found himself in again, and something about Will's completely deadpan expression… Danny began to laugh.

The laughter didn't want to stop. His chest ached as he gulped air, feeling like he was drowning and falling—and then there were a pair of arms around him. They steadied him, let him catch his breath, and then didn't let him fall.

"You okay?"

"I'll be okay, thanks, Will."

"O-of course. You're welcome, that is." The two flew back to their school, Danny's ghostly bodyguard limping along behind them.

Behind them an area of the sky began to twist and boil. Reality distorted itself as light began to bend, then cloud and finally become black. The Smee twisted itself back into existence, and snarled.

* * *

Danny was uncomfortably aware of Skulker's presence for the rest of the day. The hunting master was far more serious than he had ever seen him, and between the revelations about royalty and this and that and the other thing… 

His mind felt like one big loop, replaying through the same issues over and over again, while making no progress. He needed to do something that would make progress now, something that would give him an advantage. If he couldn't have full knowledge of what exactly the hell was going on, then what could he do?

It looked like he only had one option. Honestly, Danny had known that at some point it would come down to this, but he'd hoped to avoid it for as long as possible. He needed to find that list of his potential powers. He needed to begin taking control of the situation, he couldn't just keep getting abducted, attacked and protected by other people. It was time for him to take decisive action.

He was going to break into Sky High, find the list of his powers, and how to use them.

School really seemed to drag on, once Danny had his basic mission in mind. Fine-tuning the plan would require a couple days, and he was going to need help. After the last bell rang and all the various super-powered teens began to stream out to the busses, Danny found Will with the rest of their friends, and Warren.

"Sup, Danny," Zach said with as much gangsta as he could cram into his voice. Danny grinned while Magenta rolled her eyes and thwacked her boyfriend on the back of his head.

"Not a lot. How was First Aid?"

"We had a practical quiz on splints and bindings, and I didn't fail so that was cool."

"Zach, if you need help with any of that I can show you a couple tricks my mom uses," Layla offered. Danny rocked back and forth on his heels; Will was standing slightly apart from the group where Warren was apparently talking his ear off. Keeping an eye on them without being obvious about it wasn't really possible, so he had to grit his teeth and deal with it. He really didn't like the way Warren talked to Will, he didn't like Warren's attitude or the fact that he treated Will like an idiot. Will said that it was just how Warren showed affection, but, frankly, it seemed like complete bullshit to Danny. Warren was an asshole.

"Hey, Ethan, I got a question for you," Danny turned to the other boy. Ethan adjusted his glasses and looked at Danny curiously.

"What do you want to know?"

"The labs here, do they have computers? And is there Internet access?"

"Oh yeah, there's a satellite system in place and the school supports several servers in its central processing matrix. I believe Professor Medulla came up with the plan and created the central super-computer in his spare time."

"That's pretty cool, so the computers are pretty powerful, right?"

"They're currently a good 10 years ahead of anything you can get on the public market and he designed them about 10 years ago, in his sleep mind you, so yeah."

"Wow, that's amazing." He hoped that Tucker's PDA would be up to the task of hacking into the computer.

"Hey, Danny, let's go," Will said and grabbed Danny's arm to haul him away. Gripping his arms so hard Danny had to bite back a yelp, Will stomped away from Warren, not noticing that each time he set his foot down there was a slight imprint left in the metal. Danny let his arm go intangible and Will looked back in surprise as his grip lost hold.

"You were holding me way too tightly. What's wrong man, it's not like you to be so rough." Will flushed more (probably with anger, right?) and turned his head away, mumbling an apology. Danny shrugged in response. The two teens walked to the edge of the platform. Will hopped over the guard to hover in the air while Danny just drifted through it, appearing to stand on the air.

"Well, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's okay. But, uh, I kind of have a—uh that is—hypothetical question I'd like to ask you." Will stiffened and became so obviously uncomfortable that Danny's thoughts skidded to a halt. He moved forward to put a hand on Will's shoulder, floating around him to look into his eyes. Will trembled a bit and his face twisted up with fear

"Will, what's the matter? You're shaking, man, and you look like you're gonna be sick. Tell me," Danny implored. He'd bet money it was Warren, that jerk probably had gotten all up in Will's face, and gotten really under his skin.

"I…" Will stared back into Danny's eyes, and he looked wild in a way that made Danny feel really weird. And then he sort of—shuddered slightly but mostly tensed and then muttered something.

"What?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it, it was just something Warren said…" he trailed off and Danny practically growled. He knew it. He just knew it. Warren needed a serious lesson for whatever he said to Will.

"That jerk could really use an attitude adjustment." Will looked at him plaintively.

"It's not his fault, really, it's just that--,"

"Just that what, his dad was a villain, everyone doesn't like him, he's tall good looking and has control of fire so he's hot-headed and arrogant? That doesn't matter, he's supposed to be your friend, and regardless of who he is and who people think he is, he ought to treat his friends like real friends, and not make you miserable. You don't deserve that, Will, you should only have people around you that make you feel good." Will gave a short bark of harsh laughter.

"It's complicated, Danny."

"Oh yeah, how is it complicated then?"

"It's, well that is, it's just that…"

"Just what, Will?"

* * *

_It's just that I think you're really hot and I kinda have a crush on you and Warren definitely knows and he's telling me that I should just get over myself and ask you out which is really funny because you hate him but he's actually pushing for me to do what makes me happy although I don't know if it would make you happy which is basically the problem and I definitely cannot tell you any of this…_

"It's just complicated, that's all." Danny rolled his eyes and Will found himself getting a little angry.

"It _is_ complicated, Warren has gone through a lot in his life and he's not good with people because of it. I'd think that someone like you would understand that a bit more than other people," Will said, jabbing Danny in the chest with his finger to emphasize his words.

"What—what do you mean by that?" Danny asked and Will, wrapped up in righteous indignation caused by lots and lots of emotions conflicting with harsh teenage arousal, spoke without thinking.

"I mean I know about your father." Danny's eyes went wide.

"You—you what?"

"Listen, you don't have to worry, I won't say anything, I promise.

"How, how did you—"

"I have my sources," Will said, trying to sound cool and collected. Saying that his parents told him just seemed… not cool, and he wanted to be cool around Danny. Oh yes, he did indeed want to be cool around Danny.

"Man, I don't—I guess I should say thank you. I'm just—I mean you knew and you didn't say anything… that means a lot, dude. I could get kicked out of school, couldn't I?" Danny looked so forlorn that Will dropped any thought of being mean to the other boy.

"Of course not, that's not a big deal, keeping secrets is part of being a hero." Danny seemed to chew that over, and didn't like the taste of it. Will wondered why.

"No, it is a big deal, and I owe you man, which kinda makes this harder than it was already gonna be."

"What?"

"I need a favor, Will, kind of a big one."

"What do you need?"

"You know what happened earlier?"

"Yeah."

"You've seen what I'm up against. I need more power, more abilities and information about them too. And I know where I can get it, but I need your help to do it."

"How do you know the information exists?"

"I think I told you this already, but it's because Vlad gave his data on my ghost abilities and potential abilities to Principal Powers. It's on her computer, and if I can get a friend of mine into a lab to hack into the network server and retrieve that file, I can have the edge I need." Will nodded slowly.

"So, can I count on you?" Count on him? This was more than just a favor; this was a defining moment in their relationship. Will knew that if he said no, they would undoubtedly stay friends, but there would always be the elephant in the room, the time when Will didn't help Danny do something important. And Will knew that if he said yes, Danny and he would be true friends, the sort of friends that he was with Warren and Layla, although really Danny was like the best parts of Warren and Layla mixed up (Will did not feel guilty for thinking that, not even a little bit… okay, maybe a little bit). He was nice, affectionate but not overly demonstrative, had a good sense of humor, was attractive and interesting and challenging and most importantly of all, was a boy. But he was the son of a villain, and he didn't always act like a hero even if Will was completely sure that Danny was indeed a good person. What if his father was forcing him to do this for some sort of ulterior motive? No, he had to believe this was for Danny, and that they'd only take the list.

If he did this, broke into Sky High and hacked into its main computer database, something any super-villain on the planet would give their right eye for, Danny would be infinitely closer to him. Danny would be so close to him, that maybe, maybe if he just closed his eyes, it would feel like…

His heart ached and regret was already pounding inside his skull, but he said it.

"Yes," he said. And Danny's smile was like a newborn star, bright, beautiful and with powerful gravity that just seemed to drag Will in. And Danny's arms were tight and warm across his back and Danny's chest was flush with his and Danny felt strong but soft, muscle with a healthy bit of body fat and god Danny felt good. And Danny squeezed Will while saying "thank you" and speaking in his ear and he did not let go right away and Will closed his eyes and it almost felt like it. Almost enough to make him happy and more then enough to make him want to cry.

"Hey, man, I—you are an awesome friend. I owe you, Will, I owe you big time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." Danny had closed his eyes and was shaking Will from side to side, but Will didn't mind. He really didn't mind at all. If he'd had his way they could have stayed like that forever.

Well, it would be really nice if they did it for forever without their clothes, but with clothes on was very nice as well.

"Yeah, no problem, dude," he said, and was amazed that his voice didn't give away what he was feeling. Danny pulled away and Will let go, taking care not show an ounce of the regret that he felt all the way down to his bones.

"So, uh, any ideas?"

"Well what friend were you going to take to get the list?"

"Tucker, he's a whiz with computers, like, a super whiz. He's helped me beat this one ghost, Technus, who's a computer ghost and can enter systems and manipulate them…" Danny trailed off.

"A ghost who can enter computers?"

"Yeah… Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Will nodded.

"Well if you really are the prince of ghosts, and—wait where's that Lurker guy?"

"The name is Skulker, whelp, you'd do well to remember it." The ghost became visible once more and Danny frowned.

"Why didn't I sense you?"

"His Majesty gave me an upgrade that can hide my presence, making me the ultimate predator. I installed it while you were in Civilian Identities and Disguises." Danny scowled, that was his least favorite class. He knew how to act like a normal person, that wasn't a skill. The disguises were pretty cool though; although he'd never expected that one of the skills he'd learn as a hero would be how to apply makeup.

"So, since Danny is a prince, you have to obey him, right?" Will asked and Skulker scowled.

"So long as his orders do not countermand any commands from King Plasmius," he said. Danny grinned.

"And that applies to all of you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, all must obey the commands of those who reign from the Throne of Bone. "

"I seem to remember a different sort of attitude when Pariah Dark was after you guys."

"If anything, that taught us we cannot escape the yoke—I mean reach, of our leaders."

"All right, then as your prince, I command you to fetch me Technus so that he might do my bidding, muahahaha," Danny said, and then began to cackle maniacally instead of just pretending to laugh, tilting back his head, his fingers outstretched so tensely they shook. Skulker backed off with a scared look and then turned around and shot off, fleeing as fast as he could. Will stared at Danny, worrying that his friend had somehow just—Danny was now laughing, not cackling dramatically and Will smiled in dismay.

"You should have seen your face, oh god that was priceless. And Skulker was just—oh man. I mean, I've always wanted to act like a really stupid villain, but that was awesome," Danny wheezed. Laughter is a fundamentally human thing, maybe even the most human thing, and a real laugh was the most uninhibited and pure expression of joy a person could offer up to another. What a person found funny or unfunny was a more accurate way of measuring compatibility between people than just about any way Will had ever found. It was part of why he was still friends with Zach despite how really, really, really silly the boy could be.

When Danny laughed it made Will feel warm and fuzzy in a really… he felt really gay… As Danny waved him off and said they'd meet back up at Sky High at midnight, Will smiled to cover up the turmoil in his head. Dropping through the air like a stone through water, Will just let go. Abandoning his flying ability in mid-air was not something he'd done before, even when flying down he was flying, not just dropping. So many emotions were bombarding him, he felt like a castle that was under siege, so he took all those emotions, all those feelings, and dropped away from them. He opened his eyes as he plummeted to the earth below, and sighed (any sound of the sigh was ripped away from him as he fell at terminal velocity).

Wanting to touch Danny, wanting to kiss Danny, wanting to just be with Danny… It was all so wonderful and confusing and he didn't want to feel this way, even while he knew he'd never give it up even if he could. Because they were his own emotions, they were honest feelings of attraction that came from inside him. Even if he couldn't control how he felt, his emotions were his, and not someone else's. Not a complex combination of pheromones keyed to his genetic signature.

He slowed his fall until he was standing in the air, several hundred feet above the ground. Thinking about Gwen, about what she'd done to him and what he'd… He was so lucky Layla had been willing to forgive him.

Within minutes he was above his house, so he settled down in the tree Layla had adapted to have the branches form seats. It was easier to think when he was surrounding by green leaves and the sweet smell of nature growing. If that wasn't Layla's influence on him, he didn't know what was.

It was time to do some serious thinking about Danny Masters.

* * *

"I don't know, Danny. I mean, if you get caught, that's pretty much it, isn't it?" Sam's voice was concerned and skeptical. Disapproving of a dangerous and potentially quite stupid adventure was just like her, Danny thought. If it wasn't saving frogs or trees or something, it wasn't worth it. 

"But if I don't, then I think that'll be even more dangerous. You didn't see this thing, Sam. It made that Beholder look cuddly. I mean, Will tore through it with a sonic boom to destroy it."

"So, what, you wanna use Tucker's PDA and Technus to help you hack into the computers at your super secret flying high school? Are you high?"

"No need to get so snippy, Sam," Danny muttered.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but do you even listen to yourself? You finally have access to people who can honestly help you, and you're about to do the one thing that could really prove you untrustworthy."

"I'm out of options, Sam. Being direct and polite didn't work, so I'm going to do what I have to."

"And the fact that they didn't just hand that list over because you could kill yourself learning your new abilities, that's not important at all to you, is it?" Sam sounded positively nasty, and Tucker was gently sliding down in his seat to avoid the ensuing fight. Lately it seemed like Danny and Sam were fighting over everything.

_Hormones and sublimating affection, a combination guaranteed to incite violence._ Although Sam was probably so upset because Danny didn't seem at all upset about how Will was acting around him. Tucker really could care less if Danny turned out to be gay, but he knew his friend very well and Danny was pretty much oblivious, even to his own desires. He wouldn't be at all surprise to learn Danny was bisexual, or something stupid and sappy like attracted to people who cared for him enough. Pretending that he didn't need affection was part of how Danny felt strong, and Sam and Tucker respected that, usually, and just gave Danny the support he needed, no matter how he was acting.

"Not if I'll die because I don't know what I'm doing. You don't seem to understand, Sam, I'm in trouble, big trouble."

"How much trouble can you be in, Fenton? You're the last kid I'd expect to see running with the wrong crowd." Tucker, Sam, and Danny all stared in shock as Dash Baxter dropped his tray on the end of their booth's table and pulled up a chair.

"Uh, excuse me, Dash, but we were having a private conversation."

"Hey, let me tell you," Dash munched on his burger, and kept talking while he was chewing, a habit that Sam really, really, really could not abide. Irritation was gradually edged out by disgust on her face. "If Danny is in some kinda trouble, you need a guy like me to help bail him out."

"You know, Dash, you're right, I could use your help bailing me out," Danny said, and Tucker silently cringed. The glint in Danny's eye was the same glint he had when he'd done all of his most evil pranks or rude actions. Sure enough, Danny slid out of the booth and dragged Dash away from the table. The jock was so surprised he didn't even resist, walking out behind Danny munching on his burger.

"He did not just walk out on me—us," Sam snapped. Tucker sighed; he was getting awfully tired of those two. She whirled on him in righteous anger.

"You will not help him, Tucker, he needs to—"

"Actually, you need to stop bossing us around. I don't like Danny doing this anymore than you do, but I refuse to abandon him when he needs us this much. He's only being a jerk because he's scared, Sam, you know that."

"I—I know, Tucker, and I—I'm scared too. This feels bigger than before, like when Pariah Dark almost destroyed the town, or when that evil Danny tried to kill us. I just don't know what to do. I mean, it's going to be Danny who has to go face whatever the hell this is, and we're going to be stuck just waiting to hear if he makes it through okay. This suck!" Sam yelled, and ignoring the looks of people around them, got up and stomped out of the place. Tucker sighed, and was glad that people paid for their food before they got it. No sense in wasting all this well cooked meat though.

* * *

"So, uh, do you want a ride home, Fenton?" Dash sounded rather tentative. Danny had so far rebuffed all attempts the jock made at conversation, but the larger boy still stayed subdued, refusing to fight with Danny. This change in him was really fascinating Danny, even if it didn't overshadow his anger at Sam. 

"Don't really wanna go home, what were you gonna do?" Dash shrugged.

"I didn't really have plans, wanna just cruise around?" Danny shrugged back at the blonde boy.

"Sure, whatever." The drove in silence for a bit before Dash turned on some music. Danny looked in surprise at Dash as AC/DC blared out of his speakers.

"What?"

"I just thought you'd listen to that prepackaged crap pop rap, like Lil' John, or whatever guy named 'Lil' something' is popular these days." Danny avoided mentioning any boy bands, no sense in ruining the rapport they were starting to build. Sneering in disgust, Dash flicked through some songs on the CD player.

"Just because I'm popular doesn't mean I don't have a mind of my own. I'm not into that poser crap rap anymore than I'm into Marilyn Manson. It's all just fake corporate test group shit." This seemed very out-of-character for Dash, but then again he'd always been pretty contemptuous of teen angst in general. Hypocrisy and contempt typically founded most teenage emotions, so actually it seemed pretty in character once Danny thought about it.

"Besides, there's only one song that you can listen to when you just wanna drive nowhere in particular. Sun's out, sky's blue, and it's a beautiful day," Dash continued. Wind and noise invaded the car as the windows rolled down, and a gentle guitar strum came out of the speakers, before rapidly becoming a song that Danny had heard many times before. A grin unfolded on his face before he could stop himself, and Dash grinned back at him.

"Take me down to the very last city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty," the two boys sang out in unison. Dash's car roared out onto the high way, so with the wind streaming in their faces and the sun beating down through the open top of the car, they began yelling more than singing. "Oh won't you please take me home, yeah!"

Danny began to air guitar, thrashing his head around and pretending to rock half as hard as Axel. His driving companion laughed and clapped the steering wheel in time with the beat, while the Guns N' Roses continued to blast out of the speakers. As impossible as it was to believe, Danny was laughing and singing along with Dash Baxter, the guy who had single-handedly bullied him all of his freshman year.

Trees and hills streamed by as they drove, cycling through classic rock songs perfect to scream along to in a car, Honky Tonk Woman, Kiss Your Past Good-Bye, and then a Nirvana song popped on.

"What else should I be, all apologies," Dash began to sing, and his voice wasn't yelling this time, he was singing. More melodious than Kurt Cobain, but still in tune with him, his normally nasally voice had mellowed into a light baritone when he sang. As sang the word "apologies," he'd looked at Danny, and his eyes had been full of remorse. Danny felt something inside of him break, and forgave the other boy. Everyone did deserve a second chance, and Dash was apparently honest about this, so Danny would give it to him.

"What else could I say? Everyone is gay," Dash continued, and Danny had to suppress a snort, because honestly sometimes it felt like it. Especially when he thought about Warren and Will, and how they were supposed to be… together. Despite Warren not deserving Will in the least. How could Will put up with a boyfriend (if they actually were, which they were not, clearly) who would treat him like dirt? He needed someone who cared for him, someone who could give Will proper affection. Some boys were more demonstrative than others, and very few were as open with affection as Will, and he deserved someone who would recognize and nurture that, not stomp on it. Someone who would hold his hand in public, help him carry things for other people and always return his smiles. If Danny was Will's boyfriend, he would do all those things and more, unlike Warren that jackass who—

_What the fuck did I just think?_ Aghast at his own brain, Danny actually began listening to the song again, and Dash's voice.

"I wish I was like you, easily amused. Find my nest of salt, everything is my fault. I'll take all the blame, aqua seafoam shame," Dash sang, and something about the words made Danny blink as his eyes prickled. He hated how his life drew danger to him like flies to meat. Tucker and Sam were at least safer, bluntly, with him at Sky High, but the attack of the Smee and being kidnapped by STRIKE and the politics of the ISA and Vlad's scheme and having to break in to his school… Misfortune followed Danny as tightly as his shadow did.

"Hey," the music dimmed and Dash pulled off the road. Danny hadn't realized they'd left the highway and were now up on a fenced off viewing point. There were several tables and a couple families picnicking, with coin operated binoculars and a fantastic view of Amityville. "We're here—you okay?"

Danny turned to look at Dash, and when blue eyes met blue eyes, he gave a shaky sigh. Something about Dash was drawing him out, and he didn't know if it was good or bad.

"C'mon, let's get out of the car, fresh air'll do you some good." Danny nodded and they both clambered out of the car. The air was little cooler outside of the city, and certainly fresher. Inhaling deeply, Danny smelled the trees, the pure blue sky and the beauty of the day. The two boys began to walk along the path that wound under the looking spot, and Dash led him to the opening of a cave. Danny looked at questioningly.

"This way, Fenton, we're almost there." The two boys walked into the cave, and Danny discovered that although the cave was natural and seemed to branch off and away several times, there was a wooden trail set off above the slippery looking stone for them to walk on.

"Okay, but where is there?"

"You'll see, it's a place I like to go when I need time… away, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"I know we're not best buds, or anything close to that with how I've treated you, and I don't wanna overstep my bounds cuz we're just getting to become friends and I really don't want to," Dash babbled before Danny interrupted.

"Dash, dude, don't worry—I mean, well, listen." Danny stopped walking and so did Dash. Distant noise like thunder came to Danny, but he assumed it must be the cars he guessed were almost directly above his head right now.

"I know that you've been a horrible person to me, but—well high school is when kids are horrible to each other. And it sucks, but I wasn't always so nice to you," Dash looked like he would interrupt but Danny raised his hand. He wasn't about to tell Dash about his secret identity, even if he knew the other boy would take it well from past experience. "So let's just make a deal. From now on, friends, and what happened before now, doesn't matter. Shake on it?" Dash looked down at Danny's hand, and then grinned at him. He reached out and took Danny's hand.

"Deal," he said, and shook. Danny noticed that Dash had a very strong grip, but not one that tried to crush his hand. Just the sense of great strength being purposefully withheld. Dash could have crushed his hand if he wanted, but instead he just held it firmly, like something precious that could slip away if he wasn't careful, but was too delicate to clutch.

"Now, wanna show me what you took me here for?" Danny asked as their hands stopped shaking, but Dash didn't let go, just grinned and began to drag Danny along. "Whoa, why are we running?"

"Why not?" Dash almost shouted, and gave a little whoop. Dropping Danny's hand he began to move at a fast clip, and something in Danny made him want to chase, so he shot after him.

"Sure you can keep up, Fenton?"

"I'm a lot stronger than last year, Baxter," Danny shot back good-naturedly. "You try and keep up this time!" Dash laughed and a second later they both thundered out of the cave to another view spot, only this one was looking at a thirty-foot waterfall. Slowing to a trot both boys went to the railing, only slightly winded. While Dash leant on the railing and spat over the edge, Danny stared in awe.

Apparently on the other side of the incline they had been driving up, there was a waterfall that ended in a modest sized pool. There was no one else there, despite the day being glorious and the area around the pool having several tables and empty grills. Trees stretched out behind the park clearing, the wilderness that they'd been driving through the past hour or so just listening to music. He didn't know quite where they were, but apparently this was a favorite place of Dash's, and he could obviously see why. The contrast of the water, the mild roar and beautiful clear color of it, the green grass and the mix of beautiful big trees…

"Normally this place has at least a couple people here, especially on a day like this," Dash said, and then shrugged. It was even more beautiful for the lack of people, silent except for the sounds of water and plants. "Whew, got a little warm there." Danny nodded, he was already starting to feel sweaty and the sun beating down on them wasn't helping. Then he had an idea.

"Hey, can we go swimming here?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah you're allowed to do that, just down get too close to the falls, it's a bit rough." Danny grinned and ran down the stairs from the observing platform to the park area around the falls. Dash followed him at a more sedate pace.

"We don't have any towels," Dash said as Danny began to strip off his shirt at a table.

"So" his shirt muffled the other boy's voice. "It's nice out, we'll dry fast."

"Yeah, but our clothes won't," Dash muttered. "All right, I'll get in too." Dash stripped off his shirt too while Danny set to work on his shoes. The larger boy's chest practically gleamed in the sun, his sharply defined muscles making Danny feel a pang of—jealous, definitely was jealousy, not something else. He was jealous, and that was why he could not stop watching the way Dash's muscles flexed as he kicked off his shoes and shucked off his pants and—

"Whoa," Danny said, averting his eyes after a second. Dash looked at the dark-haired boy in amusement. Danny had been about to pull his own pants down, but was planning on keeping his boxers on. Apparently, certain jocks didn't feel the need to even do that.

"What's that, Danny, never seen a man naked before?" Danny coughed at the tone Dash used, and colored up.

"I—uh—was just surprised, is all. Didn't think you'd be up for stripping in such a public place." The flushed halfa had turned back to Dash now, keeping his eyes firmly above waist level.

"Eh, if no one's here by now, probably no one's coming. Not a lot of people know about this park, it's a pretty local place. Besides, it's allowed," Dash jerked his thumb towards a sign and Danny followed the line of pointing to a sign that clearly said "nudity allowed."

"Oh."

"You don't have to go skinny dipping, I just like it more, feels great. C'mon, hop in, the water's not nearly as cold as you'd think." And with that the other boy took off at a trot to a platform Danny hadn't seen before, where you could jump off into the middle of the pool. He tried not to watch Dash's perfectly muscled butt as it bounced and the fact that his dick was just long enough to see it when his legs moved just so while he was jogging.

Danny could feel himself getting a semi, and panicked. There was no way in hell he was taking his boxers off, but he needed to get in that cold water fast, before Dash could see what would rapidly become very obvious. Shucking off his pants he took a run at the water, and after splashing a couple steps out (cold cold cold cold cold) shot out on his stomach and ducked underwater.

The water was cold but perfectly clear, so when Dash penetrated the surface of the water in a flurry of bubbles, Danny could see him pretty decently. Broad shoulders plunged strong arms through the water, hauling Dash's body forward while his perfectly sculpted legs kicked their way towards Danny. The dark haired boy surface just as the blonde one did.

"You're right, this water is great," Danny said cheerfully, willing Dash to not look down. The jock swam closer to him, and Danny began silently cursing. He was not gay, he knew that, but at the moment he also wasn't really thinking about it because he could swear he was feeling Dash's body heat radiating through the water.

"You didn't get naked," Dash observed, and Danny flushed. He needed to deflect attention from this, fast.

"Why, would you like me to?" He hadn't meant that to sound nearly as… flirtatious as it did. It was meant to be snappy, not coy and seductive.

"Not if you don't want to," Dash said, softly. Silence became even thicker as the two of them drifted in the water, paddling just enough to keep afloat.

"But, do you want me to?" Why did he ask that, what the hell was wrong with him? Face red as tomato, Dash coughed into his hand, not a real cough, but rather a "I need time to think" cough.

"And if I said I did?" Dash spoke with less volume than before, and was he imaging things or was Dash suddenly drifting closer to him?

"You'd have to say it," Danny responded, his voice also growing quieter, even a bit softer than Dash's, as if they were both about to share a secret. Maybe they were, Danny realized, because his entire body was at once cold and hot, not because of the water, and Dash was so close they were almost touching, and god Dash was so very naked and so very close…

"So if I said it, if I said, 'Danny, get naked,' you'd do it?" Dash's voice was almost a whisper, and his nose was almost touching Danny's. Danny swallowed noisily, and gave up resisting whatever it was that was conflicted inside of him (images of dark hair and smiles, of Sam, he was supposed to eventually fall in love with Will—Sam, wait, Will?).

"Yes," he whispered, and so when Dash cleared the distance between them, when the bigger teen's lips gently pressed against his, and their bodies became flush with one another, Danny let it happen. He let Dash kiss him, driving their tongues together to lick and intertwine, allowed a large strong hand to cradle the back of his head and for another to press him closer to Dash, cupping his backside. Excitement burst through Danny, and man was Dash good at kissing. The older boy knew every which way to meld his mouth to Danny's, gently massaging the back of his neck and stroking the lower portion of his back.

Stretching his legs straight down as far as they would go, Danny's toes curled even as he pointed his feet, resting them neatly on top of Dash's own. Something hard and incredibly hot was pressing against him, stretching from his groin to his navel, and that knowledge made him feel so very good, those feelings made him aroused and hot. The two boys didn't even stop kissing as they sank beneath the surface, for a moment, before air forced them to resurface.

They separated enough to paddle and float, gasping as much for air from being underwater as what they had been doing underwater. Dash's face was the same red as his erection, a desperate sexual red that made Danny want to shiver and ache under the larger boy.

"We should—we should get out, and dry off," Danny stammered, and looked around to make sure no one was there.

"Or, there's a spot behind the waterfall, if you want, where we could," the blonde trailed off meaningfully and Danny bit his lip, did he really want to do that? Dash let out a little noise that was a suppressed groan of desire at the face Danny was making.

"I don't know, Dash, I mean I want to be friends with you, but this is, it's something I'm just not sure about," Danny said. Being sure of his own feelings was something Danny took for granted, only now he was terribly, horribly confused.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but I'm not confused. I've wanted you from probably the first moment I saw you, and it's only gotten worse since then." Danny stared at Dash in shock, and the other boy chuckled sadly. "Why do you think I picked on you so much, and refused to let anyone else do the same?"

_He picked on me, and only me, and that's why? That's why I caught him once beating up some guys who beat me up, only to then beat me up a little bit more?_ It was at once disturbing and… hot? _Oh. My. God. I need a therapist, because I must be going crazy!_

"Dash, I—" Danny didn't know what he was going to say, which was perhaps just as well they got interrupted. A horrible shrieking sound filled the air and Danny's veins with dread. Sure enough, a black speck in the sky was hurtling at them, and resolving itself into the shape of the Smee.

"What the hell is this noise?" Dash shouted, his hands over his ears, and Danny couldn't blame him, the noise was terrible and Dash couldn't even see the Smee yet. Grabbing Dash and hauling him out of the water, Danny looked up and cursed as he threw himself and Dash to the side. The Smee landed with a might crack, it's arm buried in a perfect hole in the ground up to its elbow right where Danny's head had been. Dash looked at the thing, and the wave of fear and rage it sent at them made the other boy scream in pain. Danny reacted without thinking as the Smee flew at them.

With one hand he grabbed Dash's head and made an ecto-shield around it, relieving the boy of the horrendous Smee inspired fear and noise, and with the other he unleashed a devastating blast of energy that caught the Smee head on. The thing wailed as it was ripped apart by the blast, but Danny watched the pieces that fell to the ground, and saw they were beginning to drift towards each other already.

Assuming his costume, Danny walked up to the struggling shreds of shadow, and began to collect energy in his hands, cupping them to form a ball. A clone popped out of his back and

"Get him out of here," Danny commanded. Behind his back, he heard the blond boy mumbling about something and the odd sound of his own voice trying to soothe the jock. Then he didn't have time to pay them any attention, because the Smee was reformed and turned its focus on him. Danny smiled, and with a yell forced the cupped energy to be released directly at the Smee. It was like holding a flamethrower to a mouse, raw power enveloped the creature and flared so bright Danny couldn't even see for a second, despite closing his eyes. When he opened them, there was no sign of any part of the Smee, just a smoking hole where there had once been a nice little eating area.

When he turned, he looked up by the cave and saw his clone had gotten Dash dressed, but that now the blonde boy had gone into shock and was just staring at Danny. He sighed. This was not how he would have liked things to turn out.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer—I do not own Danny Phantom, Sky High, or any of their related properties. Fo reezy.

A/N—So it's been a while… Enjoy!

Chapter VIII

"Dash? Dash, wake up, you gotta wake up man," Danny begged, slapping the other boy's face repeatedly. After a few seconds Dash finally groaned and he flinched away from Danny's hands. Normally the halfa would be laughing his face off at the way Dash had fainted. Watching the blond boy's knees buckle while he slid limply to the ground at the moment Danny turned from Phantom into Fenton had resembled something straight out of a Marx brothers' movie.

For a moment, excluding the fact that Dash now knew his secret identity (and was that the third time that had happened? Keeping tabs on that stuff was hard) he'd almost started laughing. Frankly, he blamed it on his exhaustion. Dash's nose wrinkled in discomfort and his entire face gradually bunched up until he finally woke to Danny's gentle slaps. Two eyes snapped open so fast Danny almost kept tapping Dash's face, stopping himself at nearly the last moment.

"Dash, can you hear me?" The blond boy nodded in a dazed fashion. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Danny asked while holding up a single hand.

"Three," Dash said slowly, and blinked at the sound of his voice. Relief coursed through Danny's body like a wave of cool water. Lowering the three fingers he'd held up, Danny began checking Dash's eyes and body for signs of obvious injury, while asking him if he hurt whenever he pressed or pushed at the other boy.

"You're good at this," Dash said slowly, as Danny finished checking him out. It was difficult to decide whether the flush he had was from examining the jock's very, very well maintained physique or from the compliment. A combination of the two seemed the most likely.

"Practice," he muttered. Between his First Aid training at school and his practice with dealing with his own injuries, Danny knew how to do a rough diagnosis of bodily harm. Pressing and prodding various places on Dash's body, his very finely toned and hot body, Danny quickly ascertained that the jock had no broken bones or bad bruises. He could not detect any inner bleeding, and the faint had just been caused by an overload of information.

_ Holy guacamole, he knows who I am. Crap. And damn the adults in my life for making food related curses all the time._ Dash apparently lacked telepathy, because Danny had been praying for him to forget everything, and instead the other boy immediately started talking about it.

"Yeah, I guess you must. Do you get hurt a lot, fighting ghosts? I mean, as Phantom you always seem to get tossed around but you never look that hurt…" Dash trailed off.

"All the time," Danny said, his voice and tone so flat that he sounded dead even to his own ears. Dash reached out and cupped Danny's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Danny." For a second, just a second, Danny let the strong and callused hand cradle his face. For just a moment, he let everything go and focused on how nice it felt to have such a strong, masculine hand surround and caress him. Then he gently moved Dash's hand away from his face, and tried not to think about what any of his feelings meant.

"What for? You didn't try and kill me just there."

"No, but I have in the past." Danny looked at him in shock. "No, I don't mean—I never actually tried to kill you, man. I just… Well, me screwing with you probably hurt your ghost hunting, didn't it?"

"Actually, after I got my powers you really didn't bother me as much. And I don't just mean figuratively. Didn't you ever notice how often weird things would happen to you after you beat me up or something?" Dash's eyes widened and then narrowed.

"So that was actually you all those times? Makes a lot of sense now." Then the jock shrugged. "I guess I deserved it, though." Words that would have killed the fast budding friendship between them got swallowed and replaced by Danny's more mature side. Both statements held truth, but the "you're damn right you deserved it," seemed to have an added edge of honesty in its cruelty.

"No one deserves to be bullied, Dash. Not even bullies."

"Well, I am a reformed bully, now, but thank you, Danny." Ignoring the way Dash's voice rubbed against his skin proved difficult when he could picture the other boy's naked body so very easily in his mind.

"What, like a 12-step program for bullies?"

"Yep. Meetings are on Wednesday nights at the community center. I'm almost to my first merit coin for not hitting anyone living in nearly a month," Dash said, sarcastic but friendly, fondly. "I thought that the 24 hour coin was pretty pointless, cuz anyone can go a day without beating someone." Danny couldn't tell if Dash was joking or not about that last bit, and decided to just smile. Smiling covered all the reactions he possibly wanted, either cheerful support of Dash's group therapy (do not snicker, Danny, don't you dare), or showing amusement at his clever joke. Dash smiled back at him, and Danny resigned himself to never knowing the truth of the matter, because, honestly, how embarrassing would it be to ask him? Charlie Brown level shame right there, and Danny would not run up and kick the football no matter how loudly Lucy (Dash?) said they wouldn't pull it away.

"Well, I think we should head out, now," Danny said.

"Yeah, probably. Let's go," Dash moved to start leaving, but Danny grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. He held out his hand expectantly, making grabbing motions in the air. For a moment, the other teen's face lit up in a way that sparked a warm tingle in Danny's body, jumping back and forth at lightning speed between his groin and his spine. Except he couldn't—he just didn't feel comfortable—screw it. Danny felt too damn confused to mess around any more, no matter how badly he, like any teenage boy, wanted to get his rocks off.

"Keys." Dash tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brow, and Danny almost snickered. It felt as if he could actually see Dash's thought process and watch the equation, "keys does not equal sex?" flash in front of the larger boy's mind's eye.

"What?" Not rolling his eyes in a fashion so pointed, he might as well have rolled them, Danny repeated himself, with a dash more explanation.

"Your keys, gimme them." He grabbed at the air between them with his hand, miming the desired objective.

"Why?" Okay, now Danny began to feel irritated. Dash certainly looked fantastic, and he could easily imagine that blond head drifting lower down his body, his hands wrapped in the thick and spiky hair—_Christ, this is just not good on any level._ The point was, Dash looked great, but apparently all that muscle had pulled his brain clean out of his head. It never occurred to Danny that someone could be tongue-tied looking at himself, or that anyone could find the ghost-boy of Amityville so attractive that they'd be rendered slightly stupid.

"Your head got knocked around pretty badly, so I'll be the one driving you home." Dash frowned but did not argue as the look on Danny's face spoke rather plainly. It said that if Dash did not voluntarily give his keys over to Danny, then they would be taken from him and Dash would be tied up if Danny had to.

"But then how will you get home," Dash began to ask before catching himself as Danny raised a single sardonic eyebrow. "Oh, yeah. You can fly, right, forgot." Danny chuckled mirthlessly, as there were definitely times where he wished that he could forget he had powers.

"That's right, Dash. I can fly, amongst other things." Dash shuffled his feet a bit as he dug out of the keys to his car and dropped them in Danny's hand. As the two turned to walk back to the parking lot, he cleared his throat and got the other boy's attention. Taking a deep breath, and almost melting under Danny's blue eyes, he softly thanked the dark-haired teen.

"Thank you, Danny."

"What, for the ride home? No problem."  
"No, not that, although it's part of it. Thank you, for, you know, being a hero, and stuff, like, for saving me, our school and, uh, this whole damn town, man. You got a raw deal, and just that you would save all our asses, time after time, I mean that's just—you're amazing, Danny." Not blushing in response to what Dash said would have been mildly difficult any time, if for no reason other than Danny being vulnerable to praise.

"It's no problem, with great powers come great responsibility and all that," Danny said smoothly. "You're welcome."

"Well I'd really welcome another kiss," the boy said and before Danny could protest he swept in for one. For a split second Danny was frozen, his hands pressed against Dash's chest, all taught pectoral muscle and strength, while Dash's hand rested gently on his head, one thumb laying against his sideburn and strong hot fingers curling around the back of his head. Dash's mouth pressed against his for a moment, and then Danny gave up and let the other boy in.

Tongues twined around one another as the two boys gently explored their mouths. Danny's arms moved up to hang around Dash's neck, while the larger teen's other arm circled around to rest its hand on Danny's butt. A gentle squeeze made Danny groan into the kiss, and he could feel Dash's body shudder as he did so. Feeling another person tremble because of him, because of how he felt to Dash and what his sounds did to Dash, was simply incredible. There was a high racing through Danny's body, a heart pumping overwhelming sense of reality and being present, being absolutely there in that moment. All of his senses narrowed to a single point of awareness, his body pressed against Dash's, the smell and the heat and the way his shirt moved over his skin and the taste of his tongue and lips and the delicate but hard edge of his teeth and the arousal pressed—

The only warning Danny had was the way Dash's eyes went wide as icy ghost breath came out of his nose and some went into Dash's mouth. Then the two were thrown head over heels and crashed down a couple feet away from where the Smee had just gouged a hole in the earth.

_How on earth is that thing still alive?_ Danny thought to himself. The amount of energy he'd poured onto the Smee should have vaporized it. It should be dead, or rather, since ghosts were already dead, in pieces taking forever to recreate itself.

Either way, he needed to get clear of the thing and fast. Grabbing Dash and clutching him to his body, Danny shot into the air with all the speed he could muster, throwing up a shield around him with the Smee in hot pursuit.

"Danny, what is that thing?" Dash yelled over the streaming wind into Danny's ear.

"It's a Smee, and it should be dead." But maybe just pouring raw power onto it wasn't the way to go, like with the Beholder. Maybe his Ghostly Wail could kill it, or at least he hoped so because he was running out of options. With any luck, what didn't work on the one creepy new creature would work on the other. "Get on my back."

"How?" Danny glanced behind them and saw the Smee fading into a dot. At least he could outrun it. Stopping for a second, Dash wriggled out of his grasp and tightened his legs around Danny's waist. Danny tried to ignore the erection that was now firmly pressed against his ass, and failed miserably.

"Dash, if you can, cover your ears, and try not to enjoy this so much." He felt the larger teen shrug and as the Smee raced into view, Danny took a deep breath, and then let loose his banshee cry straight at the creature. The Smee stopped in the air and shook violently as the cry rang out. Danny cried out as loudly as he could, and the Smee seemed to be crumbling apart. Once he saw it appeared to be working, he just tried to keep the pressure up, but his voice was going to fail him in a second and he didn't know if he could get another Wail in before the Smee would hit them.

Later, Danny would wonder what it was that Dash thought he would accomplish, because really, how on earth could the blond boy have known even an iota (and why did superheroes in training have to study for the SAT?) of what was going on? Whatever the answer, Dash had dropped one hand down to Danny's groin and gently squeezed a very specific part of Danny's anatomy at the same time he whispered something unintelligible into Danny's ear. All he remembered was suddenly feeling very, very surprised, and that his Wail spiked to nearly double the pitch it had been at.

Trust Dash Baxter to save his life by molesting him.

The Smee crumbled under the assault and before the two boys' bewildered, terrified, and still aroused, eyes, the ghost monster turned to dirt and wilted flower petals. Sounds like wind chimes filled the quiet after Danny's attack ended and the dirt and flowers fell to the earth below.

"Okay, okay," Danny breathed heavily and slowly floated down to earth. He'd flown out into the middle of nowhere, but at least he could still see the spot they'd come from in the distance.

"All right, Danny, just keep breathing, and I'll—uh," Dash's face made Danny chuckle. Twisted up with concern and affection, it had just enough ignorance spread over it to make the entire affair more than a little comical. Or maybe too much adrenaline still coursed through his body. Laughing after escaping death by a thread was pretty normal, in fact there was a whole psychology class at Sky High about superhero mental health in relation to near death experience and trauma. The rush and thrill of hunting down a villain, the pleasure of the capture, the satisfaction of rescuing bystanders, it aroused superheroes like a drug. They were taught any of them could become addicted to their own job, constantly seeking out the rush of combat, or because they only felt truly alive when on the chase.

All Danny knew was that Dash crouched next to him and rubbing his hand up and down Danny's back, while the halfa inhaled and exhaled like a horse out of breath, felt really good. Without much thought, or really, any input from his brain whatsoever, Danny reached up and dragged Dash down to mash their lips together. The jock stumbled a bit and their teeth clacked together, but then Dash was on top of Danny, and they were moving against each other in all the right ways.

Skin touching skin felt amazing, so Danny rode his hands up Dash's shirt and just ran his fingers over every inch of smooth skin and strong, hard muscle he could find. Dash pulled Danny up and into his lap, a move that the dark haired boy agreed with enthusiastically. No confusion or thoughts about his sexuality existed here, only the knowledge of wandering hands, blond hair and a tiny bit of stubble that fascinated Danny's kisses. Fooling around after a battle was something Danny regarded as a luxury, but this was definitely the first time it hadn't been Sam, Valerie or Paullina (now **that** was a story he'd never tell anyone). In fact, this was the first time he'd ever really been with another boy, and he wondered if Will would have been down for it, that one time they'd been at his house and…

Eyes widened and mind racing, Danny leaned back from the kiss for a second, breaking their rhythm. Dash, now gasping for air just as hard as Danny, looked into the other boy's blue eyes. No questioning, no confusion, just looking. Inside Danny's head, his thoughts about Will had chain started an entire conglomerate of other feelings, and he simply could not just sit in Dash's lap anymore.

"I'm sorry, Dash, but we need to stop," Danny said, and with an unconscious wince prepared for the jock to explode in anger at him.

"That's fine, dude, we don't have to go any faster than you want." Danny blinked at Dash. The larger teen wore a smug and satisfied expression that Danny wasn't sure how to feel about.

"Uh… right," Danny said and then stood up. He offered a hand to Dash, which the other boy took, and pulled him up.

"So, can I take you out to dinner tonight?" Danny bit his lip and then sighed.

"No offense, Dash, but I kinda need to have some time to myself. This is all… pretty new to me." Pretty new being an excellent euphemism for mind-blowingly world altering. At least he knew that he at the very least did not mind boys and their bodies, but was he really gay? He still liked girls, right? Or did he? The way he felt right now, it was like he'd have sex with anything, so long as it had a pulse. Maybe this happened to all guys?

"Ah, okay. Well take the time you need. I've waited for this for a long time, I can wait a little longer still." Danny flushed at Dash's words. Since when had the blond jock become so different?

"Thanks, Dash."

"But, you should know, don't keep me waiting too long."

"Uh, why?"

"I'm a competitor, Danny, I'm used to fighting for what I want. So whether it's winning the game, or winning you, Fenton, I'll play as long and as hard as it takes." Danny had to flush a little bit at that.

"I'm not a football, Dash," he responded semi-sarcastically.

"Trust me, I know that. I don't normally make-out with footballs."

"Oh, but you have in the past?"

"Just the one time, we were drunk and he never called me back. Now we just see each other at practice and it's horribly awkward." Danny began to laugh just as Dash did, and they began the slow flight back to Dash's car. Even though Danny's entire world was being constantly reshuffled, he felt truly at ease with this new Dash Baxter.

Which Danny considered, because what the hell had happened to Dash to make him flip-flop like this? Had Danny's absence been a wake-up call? The thought warmed his heart, and slid lower. Apparently his hormones were in full swing, because he was starting to think about sex ALL THE TIME. Bad enough he was a superhero trying to save two worlds (or at least keep them separate) he was having a sexual identity crisis and he was hard practically 24/7.

Being a teenage superhero was just as lame as it was awesome.

* * *

"So Daniel wants you to assist him in this endeavor?" Vlad lounged on the Throne of Bone like a cat, bored and contemptuous of the world around him. Technus and Skulker knelt on the floor before him, their eyes focused down on the ground, as was proper.

"Yes, your majesty. He feels that with Technus he can bypass all of the security measures and retrieve the information from the computers, without leaving a trace of physical theft," Skulker reported. A smirk grew across the face of King Plasmius like a snake uncoiling to strike.

"Admittedly, I did not plan for such creativity on the little badger's part. What a delightful idea," Vlad crowed. In truth, having Danny purloin the list was a far superior plan because it would seem that he was being manipulated, the boy was too much of an earnest do-gooder to stay in trouble for long. With Technus's aid, it would be impossible to discern what had been taken from Sky High, and the evidence of a break-in would indicate either: a super-villian, STRIKE, or that mysterious and fabled hive of organized villainy, the Order of Chaos. And in reality, Vlad would get exactly what he needed. Confusion, disorder, and perhaps something from Medulla's private files to aid him in his plan.

"Also, sire, the Council of Crows wishes you to know that they will begin moving against the Observants, shortly."  
"Excellent. I honestly did not expect everything to come to fruition in such a delightful manner," Vlad said, and his minions bowed before him, smiling. Little did they know what Vlad's true plans were far grander than simply controlling the Ghost Zone.

"Technus, I want you to steal as much information from Medulla's computer as possible. Feel free to appropriate whatever tools you need from my laboratory, and then report to me for specific instructions." His copy of the Psychonaut's viral spy-ware would throw ISA off his trail, were they even on it, and lead them straight to their villainous counterparts. And to create some irony he could actually sell some of the secrets he was set to steal to the Order of Chaos, and further confuse the situation for all involved.

Sowing confusion, dissent, mistrust, these were the tools of a conqueror, of a king, and Vlad would be that conquering king. So what if the Crows only desired to see Daniel on the throne? Daniel would reject the crown and Vlad would be left as king. And then his true plans could be finally set in motion.

"Yes, your Majesty," Technus said, scowling. Vlad waved his hand, and the ghosts were dismissed.

After the throne room had emptied, and only Vlad was left, he gestured at the cylinder resting on the caged table several feet away. The canister flew to his waiting hand and Vlad focused all his substantial energies upon it.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. The voice that came from the canister reverberated in the room like thunder.

_"Release me, now!" _Vlad smirked as the yell faded.

"You know, I don't think I shall," he said, tossing the canister from hand to hand.

_"What do you want with me?"_

"Don't play the fool, Daniel, it doesn't suit you. Ask yourself, 'what would the King of Ghosts want with me?'"

_"I want to destroy everything."_

"Well I guess that answers a question," Vlad said mildly. "Albeit, one I did not ask. It does not answer the one I asked you." The room was silent for a moment, and Vlad could almost hear the ticking of the other ghost's thinking.

_"You want to control me."_

"Very good, little Badger, you're learning, but, sadly, that's not quite it. I have no illusions of control where you are concerned."

_"Good. I will kill you, no matter your plans. I will rip out your heart, and take your power for my own."_

"You might try," Vlad said, tossing the canister up and down in one hand. "But I have a better idea. I use you, and when I am finished, I destroy you. How's that sound?" Whatever notions Danny might have had about Vlad's dubious nature being secretly not so bad would have been utterly destroyed, had he seen the look in Vlad's eyes as the halfa stared at the canister.

_"It's a terrible idea. Every second I remain alive is another I will spend torturing you when I eventually break free."_

"So you say, but you haven't even heard what I plan for you."

_"What? What will you do with me?"_

"Ah, ah, ah! That would be telling." And Vlad leaned back in his throne, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

* * *

"This is a terrible idea," Tucker said, and Danny rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were excited to finally see Sky High."

"I am, I just don't want to get in trouble. Are you sure we need to do this?"

"Yeah, Danny, are you sure you need to do this?" Will chimed in, and Danny sighed.

"Listen, guys if you don't wanna help, I'm not gonna make you, but yes, I have to do this. It's the only way I can—I can figure out what I can do. The only way." Danny stared at them. "Are you in or out?"  
"In. Crap," Tucker said ruefully. Will sighed.

"Me too."

"All right, then look alive. Technus!" The ghost popped up next to them, and bowed.

"I am here, my lord."

"I really cannot get over that," Tucker said staring at Technus with a slightly horrified fascination. Danny gave him a sympathetic look.

"I know, right? It's crazy."

"What?" Will asked, looking confused.  
"We used to foil these guys' plans all the time, now they're my minions." Technus's face clouded angrily at that. "Like I said, it's crazy!"

"Is a little weird," Will admitted.

"All right, then. Sky High here we come." Danny shot up into the air, with Technus hot on his heels. After a few seconds Will joined them, carrying Tucker flush against his body.

"WOOOOOOOOO!" Tucker screamed as Will shot up, faster than Danny could fly, and vanished towards Sky High.

"Technus, hop in, I'm gonna speed up," Danny said, waving the handheld computer Technus had given him. The ghost sneered but vanished into it, and Danny slipped it into his belt. With a solid grunt, he grit his teeth, went intangible and pushed himself as hard and fast as he could manage.

Even flying his fastest, Danny still lagged behind Will by a significant margin. But Will slowed down and dropped back to Danny.

"WAY. TOO. FAST." Tucker was gasping for breath and clutching hold of Will for dear life. Danny frowned at the way their body's seemed to twine around each other, with Tucker's legs wrapped around Will's waist.

"Sorry, I was just—sorry," Will mumbled, flushed, and Danny's body decided to move without input from his brain.

"Hey, Tucker, budge over, I'm gonna hitch a ride too." All three boys froze, and Danny ran that request through his head. Had he actually said that out loud?"

"Uh, you sure? I mean, it's fine, I guess," Will said hurriedly. Neither noticed Tucker's eyes flickering between them, analyzing.  
"Yeah, I mean, it'll be the fastest way, right?" Danny asked awkwardly, and felt oddly vulnerable about Will's hesitancy. "I mean, only if it's cool."

"Yeah, yeah it's totally cool. Hop on back." Danny did so, reaching around Will to grip his shoulders from the front, meeting Tucker's hands where his arms wrapped around Will's back, which Danny's chest was pushed flat against. Danny couldn't help notice how neatly he fit on top of Will, minus Tucker's legs around Will's legs.

_NO, bad thoughts, bad thoughts! _He tried to focus on something else as Will shot off, but instead his mind turned to Dash, and the other day, and then when he tried to think of girls to calm down his mind nearly exploded because that was simply NOT RIGHT.

On the upside, in Danny's opinion, imagining Paullina naked, and then Joy naked, did nothing to derail the train that was currently pulling into his station. It was nice to know that even if boys were giving him stiffies now, girls still did. Anymore of this, though, and Will would notice, and while Danny had seen what Will was packing, that was different. Adrenaline rush and victory and all that good stuff, that's what that had been. This… this was different in some fundamental way that made Danny feel scared.

Quickly trying to picture Mr. Lancer mowing his lawn in just underwear, tighty-whitey's with track marks, got Danny's arousal under control. It also meant he missed the interaction between Tucker and Will, as all three boys wrestled with discomfort at their close proximity.

* * *

When Will finally got to drop down onto the inverted floating dome that was Sky High, he never felt more relieved and embarrassed. Not only had he made a fool of himself with Danny, but also Tucker could have felt something! His outfit had a cup, but still, he had a feeling if push came to shove, so to speak, he could probably break the cup with a hard enough erection.

Will wondered if his dad had ever had that problem, and then vowed to never think such thoughts again. The images were terrifying.

"Wow," Tucker said, staring at the darkened school. "This is SO FREAKING AWESOME!"

"All right, Technus, security measures?" Danny held out the handheld to Tucker. He took it and began tapping on it.

"Technus, can you interface with the Sky High supercomputer?"

"Negative. Artificial Intelligence means that I need to possess the core processor," Technus's tinny voice came from the hand held.

"Show me a schematic then, where is the core?" Tucker said. "And what measure do we need to bypass?"

"Tucker's pretty good at this," Will said to Danny. "I mean, he's practically professional."

"Without Tucker and Sam, I wouldn't have survived till now. They've saved my bacon in more way than one and more times than I can count." Danny's face was almost pensive now, staring out into the dark sky. Will admired the way his ethereal glow brought out his features, made Danny seem almost older, and dangerously handsome. Without the costume, Danny was the boy next door, cute, friendly and warm, with the ghost power it was different. He was like Warren, dangerous, powerful, and with eyes that had seen more than they should have.

"You're lucky. Good friends are hard to come by. Mine have been really, you know, good." Will could have slapped himself for sounding stupid, but Danny smiled at him.

"Except for that one guy, yeah, you do have pretty good taste," he said. "After all, you chose me."

"Yeah, I did," Will said a bit softer, and Danny's eyes flared with light.

"And we are IN!" Tucker cheered. The school's lights dimmed a bit before flaring up and then settling down. "Let's go guys, we only have 95 seconds. Danny, you're going to phase us, Will, check this out, you know where this is?" Will looked at the handheld.

"Yeah, got it, Danny?" Will asked Danny who nodded, and grabbed both of them. "Take us to the Omega gym." Omega gym was the gym used by everyone with the most powerful abilities. The three boys phased through the school until they reached the gym.

"Go straight down," Will said and Danny did, dropping through the immense machines that surrounded the gym, through a ventilation duct and an old supply closet.

"Go that way," Will said, pointing to the left. Danny flew forward. Past the wall was a large circular room. The concave wall and massive crystal that sat in the middle of the room gave it a donut like appearance.

"This is it," Tucker said, hopping out of Danny's grasp. Technus flew out of the handheld and stared in awe at the crystal.

"Amazing. A human made this? I don't believe it," he said, reach out a hand to touch the crystal. "You have no comprehension of how powerful this is."

"I'm going to interface, you'll have 3 minutes before the security protocol's override will disable our countermeasures," Tucker said, pulling a cord from the handheld and putting the USB port on the crystal. It pulled to the massive rock with an audible click and stuck there, the crystal glowing around it. Technus cracked his hands and plunged into the crystal, light flaring up in the room before it faded. Now the crystal was glowing all over, with small stars shooting inside it, hitting each other and bouncing back and forth and multiplying exponentially.

"What is that?" Danny asked Will. Will shrugged. He'd though Medulla just had a regular super computer, not something that looked like it was a sci-fi prop.

"The computer is light-base, Danny, he's actually managed to construct a crystalline matrix that operates as a gigantic processor and motherboard. I assume the rest of the room is too—yes, look," Tucker babbled excitedly. Tapping on the handheld quickly he smiled and hit a key. Suddenly each boy had a screen in front of him, like a small light based cockpit at waist level.

Tucker put the handheld in his back pocket, cracked his fingers just like Technus, and laid his hands on the keyboard. With a twitch he had it at chest level and began working it.

"He uses hard light constructs to interface with the computer. I can control everything from this point. Fly the school, look at records and get a full list of dangerous weapons on board—did you know there's 3 nuclear devices in storage?" Tucker peered and then his eyes went wide.

"They have cameras in the GIRLS LOCKER ROOM," he squealed.

"Tucker, we don't have time," Danny said and the other boy sighed.

"I suppose saving the world is more important," he said in the tones of someone who did not mean what they said in the least. But his hands began tapping wildly at the glowing keyboard.

"Hard light constructs, those are what Colonel Brand used, right?" Danny asked Will, who nodded. He'd never heard of hard light before this. His parents probably had, but it was like something out of a movie.

Then again, so was Will's entire life.

Watching Danny's friend Tucker, Will marveled at the boy's obvious prowess with computers. His talent might even be metahuman, because he didn't think a normal person could possibly sift through Medulla's filing system.

"All right, Technus has the objective, the entire file on Danny, and I've picked a few schematics and other documents that might prove useful. When I'm done transferring, we're leaving. We'll only have 10 seconds to leave the school, got it?"

"Got it," Danny nodded, looking deadly serious. Will flushed and turned away, he didn't need Danny thinking he really was attracted to him. Technus ghosted out of the crystal and installed himself in the handheld.

"And on 3 we are—1 2 3!" Tucker shouted, the handheld's cord dropped, Danny grabbed all three of them, and then shot down through the floor. A few seconds later they had plunged out of the side of the school, and they were done.

"Woot!" Tucker shouted. "That was so awesome." Will grinned weakly, he knew what they'd done was wrong, but… he trusted Danny, and he trusted Danny's friends. Technus spun out of the handheld computer in a flurry of ghostly energy.

"I'll be taking my leave now, if that's all right with your majesty," the ghost said to Danny who waved his hand. Will hefted Tucker in his arms, bridal style, and the boy began typing eagerly on his hand held.

"Be off with you, then," Danny dismissed the ghost, who flew off with a snarl.

"Is it a good idea to treat them like that?" Will asked and Danny rolled his eyes.

"Probably not, but it looks like fun," Tucker put in. "And can we get on the ground? It's late, my boxers are riding up, and no offence, Will, but I don't like being held by a dude"

"None taken," Will said. "Which way's home?"

"Thattaway," Tucker said, pointing to the horizon, and they took off. Will's heart was conflicted. On the one hand, Danny kept smiling brightly at him, on the other his parent's warning about Danny played and replayed as if set on repeat. He had to come clean, every instinct inside him told him honesty was the only policy for a hero, and Will would be a hero, he would not let himself down. But confronting Danny was not an option that he cared for, not at all. The alternatives were even worse.

_I'll just wait and see a little longer,_ Will thought. _Just little longer_. A little longer before he discovered if Danny's smile hid something darker, or if his parent's suspicions were for naught.


End file.
